The most common oral health problem by a mile is tooth decay. Tooth decay occurs when the outermost Layers of the tooth surface referred to as enamel gets worn down. The culprit is the acid produced as a by-product of the action of bacteria which are ordinarily resident in the mouth act on food types basically carbohydrate sugars taken into the mouth.

 

There are outer layers of the tooth surface, the visible crown, the dentine layer, the pulp, which can be affected by tooth decay.

 

A sticky coat plaque forms on the tooth surface called plaque, which is easily removed by general oral hygiene measures like tooth-brushing, use of dental floss, mouthwash and any oral hygiene aid. The bacteria germs in the mouth feed on the substrate of reducing sugars and the carbohydrate in a similar fashion as we humans take in food for energy. The acid produced as a by product of the bacteria metabolism is the culprit in the demineralisation of the hard tooth surfaces hence the dental decay, tooth decay, dental caries. The whole process is based on the structure of the tooth and the action of these acids, which can dissolve the content of the tooth structure.

 

The body naturally tries to repair the fault and damage so there is deposition of more minerals on the tooth surface, it becomes a battle of the two extremes deposition and removal, The ding dong process goes on and once the balance is tilted in the direction of dissolution or removal of the hard mineral structure of the tooth, tooth decay forms. The tooth decay appears in the tooth as holes and should this progress unchecked it goes affecting deeper layers of the tooth until it reaches the centre, the pulp of the tooth containing nerves and blood vessels, at this point the pain may be excruciating and the battle to save the tooth via treating the decay may be lost.

 

It stands to reason that tooth decay is not an instantaneous occurrence; it rather is a gradual process. When the cavity/hole/decay is at the initial stages treatment can be sought and the decay arrested and a filling placed on the tooth. This filling stops the cavity from progressing in most of the cases.

 

The body tries to fight back as earlier stated, other mechanisms of preventing the decay of teeth include the body fluids of the environment, saliva.

 

Saliva produced by several major and minor salivary glands in the head and oral cavity is a neutralising solution which mixes and washes away the acid produced by the bacteria in the mouth. It has a ph, ionic hydrogen ion concentration closer to neutral hence it acts an s a balance making the oral cavity less acidic.

 

The saliva has some important ions too like fluoride; the fluoride is an important ion as it makes the tooth surface more resistant to the attack and dissolution by the acid produced in the mouth by the bacteria acting on the carbohydrate food. Fluoride is deliberately added in toothpaste at optimum concentration to make the teeth more resistant to decay. This is the principle behind using fluoride in water supplies, toothpaste, mouth rinses, as topical application on children teeth at the dentists.

 

Whilst plaque is continuously formed in the mouth and on the teeth, the failure to remove plaque regularly by not adhering to oral hygiene measures, may result in calcium deposits hardening plaque to become tartar/calculus.....This can only be removed at the dentists and it is necessary to note that calculus may accumulate in some specific areas of the mouth. The dentist will be able to help remove calculus and clean the mouth by a procedure called scaling and polishing. This is a professional way of cleaning the mouth.

To prevent tooth decay dietary advice is essential , there are some tooth friendly food , that the dentist can advise you consume , fruits and vegetables which are not only kind to the tooth they are kind to the general wellbeing they contain anti oxidants and vitamins and help the body keep in top shape.

 

Once yearly regular visits to the dentist will be the best way to avoid having tooth decay, the dentist will give the dietary advice where necessary, help with preventive advice and detect any early signs of tooth decay.

 

DR. Sam Awosolu

This Day