Dental cavities, or caries, have plagued mankind for generations after generations. An interesting comparison was made when solidified remains of men and women from the era of the Iron Age, uncovered in Warwickshire, England, revealed a cavity rate of only 8%. When recent citizens of Warwickshire were examined, an extraordinary high cavity rate of 48% was found. Most likely, the perpetrator is our modern-day diet consisting of highly processed and sugar-containing foodstuffs. In spite of a recent decline since the seventies due to the introduction of fluoride, the predicament of dental cavities has been progressively increasing for the last four centuries in developed countries, and it continues to the current day.
Simply put, these dental cavities are a contamination caused by a mixture of carbohydrate-containing nourishments and micro-organisms that live in our mouths. Confined in a sticky film, the bacteria form constantly on and around our teeth. This film is known as “plaque”. Only a few categories of “bad” bacteria are related with cavities, even though there are many various types of microbes in our mouths. A selection of the most ordinary germs includes Actinomyces naeslundii, Streptococcus mutans, Lactobacillus casei and acidophilus.
As soon as these bad microorganisms find the right kind of starches or sugars, they gobble them and produce acid. As a result of consuming sugary foods and other carbohydrates. the mouth’s pH level falls (becomes more acidic). Ordinarily before eating, the pH level in the mouth is approximately 6.2 to 7.0, slightly more acidic than water. The introduction of acid from sugars causes the pH level on the tooth exterior to decrease. At a pH level of 5.2 to 5.5 or lower, the acid begins to dissolve the rigid enamel that forms the outer coating of our teeth. Every single exposure to these foodstuffs allows an acid assault on the teeth for roughly 20 minutes.
This can produce voids in the enamel surface. These voids, or rather cavities, strike the teeth mainly in two ways. Firstly, through the grooves, or fissures, that are visible on the top biting surfaces of the teeth known as premolars and molars. The breaks between the pits and fissures can take in foodstuff and plaque to formulate a cavity. The caries can disperse widely and deeply to conquer the dentin, even though it starts from a small point of attack. As the opening advances, the softer dentin directly beneath the enamel is further occupied, and the decay can intrude into the “pulp” – the nerve and blood tissue at the centre of the tooth.
The second main type of acid assault comes from a smooth surface, in which case the acid must pass through the complete width of the enamel. The zone of attack is usually wide, and converges as it enters the deeper layers of the tooth.
Here is a quick rundown of the tooth anatomy to better grasp the process of cavity formation. Our tooth is comprised of several layers. The firmest and most mineralized substance in our body is called the “enamel”, which lies at the outermost level on top of the gum-line. An ingredient called cementum, or cement, shelters the tooth roots underneath the gum-line. The “dentin“ is located below the enamel and cementum. Lower than the dentin, in the centre of the tooth, is the “pulp chamber”, which includes a blood supply and nerve endings. Once a tooth is fully formed, the only function of the pulp is to let us distinguish if it the dentin or pulp are injured or infected, by transmitting pain.
Contact a dentist or dental hygienist at Water Brook Dental in Washington DC for a dental check-up and other dental needs. Water Brook Dental has two locations in Washington DC. The Columbia Heights location is very conveniently located to Downtown DC, Northeast DC, Adams Morgan, Dupont Circle, Logan Circle, U-Street Corridor, Mount Pleasant and many other parts of Washington. The Eastern Ave NW location is conveniently located to Downtown Silver Spring, Takoma Park MD, Silver Spring MD, Colesville, and other parts of Maryland as well as Northern Virginia and other parts of Virginia.
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