Preventing Tooth Decay: Causes and Treatments

Preventing tooth decay

Tooth decay, commonly known as cavities or tooth decay, is a very common oral disease. Almost everyone has some degree of tooth decay, just in varying numbers.

Initially, it has no noticeable symptoms, only loose, rough, and discolored tooth enamel. Patients only discover they have cavities when they experience pain after eating sugar, drinking cold water, or inhaling cold air. Cavities often occur in hidden areas, making them difficult to see, and even dentists often cannot easily detect all the cavities without specialized instruments.

If early-stage tooth decay is left untreated, the affected tooth will continue to deteriorate, progressing to intermediate-stage caries (superficial dentin caries) and further developing into deep caries (deep dentin caries). At this stage, treatment becomes more difficult, and extraction may be necessary. Patients with severe caries are sensitive to temperature stimuli, avoiding rinsing their mouths with cold water and refraining from eating ice cream or fruit. The sensitivity only disappears after the irritant is removed.

Studies have shown that various streptococci, lactobacilli, and other acid-producing bacteria in the oral cavity can cause tooth decay. These bacteria only begin to cause decay after plaque forms on the tooth surface. Plaque is composed of a gelatinous matrix between bacterial colonies and bacteria, and it most easily forms in unclean areas such as the grooves, interproximal surfaces, and necks of teeth on the occlusal surfaces. Rinsing and rinsing are ineffective against it; even if manually removed, it reforms within hours. Therefore, controlling plaque is crucial for controlling tooth decay to a certain extent.

Incomplete tooth development and calcification, coupled with a loose and fissured structure, result in lower resistance to cavities and a greater susceptibility to tooth decay, which tends to progress more rapidly once formed. However, this is not absolute; it is only one contributing factor to tooth decay. Teeth with higher fluoride content have stronger resistance to cavities.

In addition, insufficient saliva secretion can significantly increase the risk of tooth decay. Ammonium salts and lysozyme in saliva have an inhibitory effect on tooth decay. Saliva also has a buffering capacity, neutralizing acidic substances in the oral cavity and thus fighting caries. The amount of secretory immunoglobulins in saliva is closely related to whether or not caries develops. Saliva also contains various cariogenic acids, and its proteins can provide cariogenic bacteria with the necessary amino acids for nutrition.

Experiments have shown that controlling the levels of vitamin D, calcium, and phosphorus in animal diets can lead to tooth decay. Animals particularly deficient in phosphorus not only have a higher rate of tooth decay but also experience more severe cases.

People with systemic diseases, such as those with gastric ulcers or tuberculous meningitis, often have a higher rate of dental caries. Similarly, untreated diabetic patients, those with endocrine disorders, or goiter also have a higher rate of dental caries than the general population.

Carbohydrates in food, especially sucrose, have the most significant cariogenic effect. They can accelerate the growth of streptococci in the mouth, and a high-sugar diet is more likely to cause tooth decay than a low-sugar diet.

The following methods can be used to prevent and treat tooth decay:

1. Eat less sugar and rinse your mouth with clean water immediately after eating to reduce the occurrence of tooth decay.

2. Use chemical bactericides to eliminate cariogenic bacteria and dental plaque. You can rinse your mouth with 0.2% chlorhexidine gluconate twice daily; or apply a 2% solution once daily. Plaque formation can be completely inhibited within 40 days. Brushing with toothpaste containing 0.6-0.8% of the drug can also significantly inhibit plaque formation after 60 days.

3. Use anti-caries coating to seal the pits on the occlusal surface to achieve the purpose of preventing caries in the pits on the occlusal surface.

4. Medications such as fluoride, phosphoric acid, strontium chloride, and disulfonamides can be used to improve the teeth's resistance to cavities. However, these only reduce the incidence rate and are more effective in children than adults.

5. A strong constitution and healthy development of the dentition system result in stronger resistance to tooth decay in the teeth. Conversely, poor physical condition, weak immunity, nutritional and metabolic disorders, and various chronic diseases can alter the metabolism of substances within the body and in the tooth tissues, thereby reducing the teeth's defense against cavities and leading to their occurrence and accelerated development. Therefore, it is crucial for both adults and children to have regular dental checkups and treat cavities promptly.