What are the causes of tooth decay?
Posted on April 20, 2009
Filed Under Causes |
There several naturally occurring bacteria in the mouth. Some of these bacteria grow faster in environments where there are fermenting carbohydrates. Fermenting carbohydrates can come from food and drinks that contain sugars and cooked starch. If these carbohydrates are not removed from your teeth, bacteria converts them into acid within 20 minutes. The bacteria, the acid, food particles and saliva can form into dental plaque. Plaque can be felt by your tongue if you run it across your teeth.
Now we all learned in grade school that teeth is coated with a very hard substance called enamel. Plaque acids attack the enamel that eventually causes cavities or tiny holes in the teeth. Once the enamel layer is breached, the acid reaches the next layer called dentin. Dentin is easier for the acid to break up than enamel. Once acid reaches the dentin layer, tooth decay speeds up.
Next, bacteria will attack the next layer in your teeth. The next layer is called the pulp. The pulp is where the nerves and blood vessels are. This is where the pain begins. At this stage, you will have problems biting as you will feel pain. Your immune system will respond by sending white blood cells to the infected areas. This may cause tooth abscess.
Permanent teeth is more resistant to decay than baby teeth. Saliva helps to wash away the acid. However, the deeper the bacteria go into your teeth, the faster the decay gets.
The back of the teeth is more prone to tooth decay. Also, the molars and premolars are bacteria’s favorite as they have many grooves, pits and crannies. The grooves can collect food particles.
The back of the teeth is more prone to tooth decay since they are harder to reach than the front of the teeth. Remember to clean the back of your teeth when brushing.
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