'Eat at the computer? Get ready for fillings': the dentist told you what causes caries
'20.07.2019'
Source: KP
It is difficult to find someone who is unfamiliar with dental problems. Fillings, crowns, bridges, prostheses, implants - what tricks dentists do not go to in order to fix "breakages" in our mouth. At the same time, as doctors say, the vast majority of problems in the mouth have one origin - caries.
It would seem that everything is simple: I saw a carious speck on the tooth, turned to a doctor and cured. But for some reason, it’s not at all for many people to act on such a scenario. To understand the misconceptions, myths and the latest reliable scientific data on caries, the journalist KP He met with the Moscow dentist, the founder of the author's center of dentistry, Yulia Selyutina.
Not just because of the sweet
- I remember from childhood that tooth decay develops because of the sweet. But I don’t eat sweets, but I am familiar with caries ...
- This is one of the most common myths that tooth decay is caused by sweets. In fact, it begins due to the streptococci present in the oral cavity. These microorganisms produce acid that dissolves the hard tissues of the tooth, as a result of which it gradually decays. Cavities appear that we have to fill with a doctor. Another thing is that sweets create a very nutritious environment for these bacteria, in which they begin to actively multiply.
- It turns out that bacteria are to blame for caries. Where do they come from? Do they enter us from the outside or are they present in the body initially?
- The baby is born with a sterile oral cavity. But already in the first minutes of life, bacteria begin to populate it. At first, streptococci are transmitted to the child from the mother and those people who spend most of the time with him. Bacteria are also spread by airborne droplets, through kisses, cutlery. For example, my mother tasted porridge with a spoon, and then handed this spoon to the child. Thus, she transferred the microflora from her mouth to him. And if the mother has untreated teeth, then streptococci also get to the baby. Therefore, when planning a pregnancy, it is very important for mom and dad to completely heal all teeth in order to reduce the risks of transmitting large amounts of these bacteria. Of course, the mother will still transmit streptococci to the newborn one way or another, but there will be much less of them.
Bacteria favorite food
- Are there any products that contribute to the development of caries?
- Streptococci consume primarily carbohydrate foods. Therefore, if someone eats cookies, bagels and dryers endlessly, then a favorable environment is created for these bacteria. The crumbs get stuck between the teeth for a long time, remain in the so-called fissures - the deepest areas of the inner surface of the teeth, creating a favorable environment for the reproduction of these bacteria. It is especially harmful to eat them non-stop. If, for example, you are sitting at a computer and gnawing drying, then the risks of caries will increase significantly.
- Is it true that sour is even more harmful for enamel than sweet?
- If you eat a lot of citrus fruits, not only lemons, but also oranges, or even drink freshly squeezed juices from citrus fruits, this can lead to tooth enamel erosion due to the high acid content of these fruits. Erosion, of course, is not caries. But it can destroy the beauty of our smile. In addition, it increases sensitivity to hot, cold, and this is unpleasant. Eroded teeth require restoration.
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Microbial protection
- Well, maybe to prevent tooth decay, to disinfect the mouth - and that's all?
- Bacteria are inhabitants of the oral cavity. It won't work without them! But we can influence their numbers. To do this, it is enough to observe the well-known rules of oral hygiene and not create favorable conditions for the growth of bacteria. Visit the dentist twice a year. Brush your teeth in good faith twice a day. You cannot skip cleaning in the evening! At night, teeth are even more vulnerable: when we sleep, less cleansing saliva is produced.
- Well, this is all somehow very commonplace. But if you disinfect your mouth with vodka, whiskey or cognac, won't it be a successful fight against bacteria and caries?
- No, in this way we cannot influence them in any way. Even if we rinse our mouth with alcohol.
- They say chewing garlic is useful to fight tooth decay. And if you rinse your mouth with sunflower oil, then it draws out bacteria.
- These are all myths! It is possible not to create conditions for the growth of bacteria only mechanically, removing plaque from the teeth and brushing them in the morning and in the evening. This is the only way to reduce risks.
But even this does not fully guarantee that caries will not occur. Since there are a number of factors that can trigger its occurrence. For example, if the teeth are not hard enough due to the lack of certain minerals. This is completely determined by heredity. In this case, in addition to a toothbrush and toothpaste, you will have to take extra vitamins and minerals. There are also special applications for use in the home, to help protect the teeth.
If the hardness of the teeth is high, the chances of caries are much less.
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Saving diet
- I heard that there are anti-caries diets.
- It would be more correct to talk about the correct diet without snacks. If we have clear meals separated in time, then the risks of caries are reduced. Because when we eat, the mouth cavity cleans itself from food debris due to the secretion of saliva. The acid-base balance is gradually normalized, which, after eating, always goes towards acidity, which is dangerous by the occurrence of carious holes.
And if a person doesn’t allow this balance to equalize with constant snacks, then an acidic environment will begin to predominate in his mouth, destroying the hard tissues of the teeth. I would also recommend chewing gum, which after meals can be very helpful. When we chew it, a lot of mouth cleansing saliva is secreted. This is a good alternative to a toothbrush and toothpaste if we are away from home.
About milk teeth diseases
- Why do children have caries more often than adults?
- I would not say that caries occurs more often in children. But in children, all diseases progress and develop faster than in adults.
- Do milk teeth need to be treated? After all, they will fall out anyway, why torture children in vain?
- Need to! Each group of deciduous teeth has its own lifespan. Some teeth should last up to 6-7 years, while others up to 12-13. And if caries occurs long before the time of the natural change, and we do not cure it, you may have to remove the tooth. Let's say he was supposed to change at nine years old, and he was removed at six. And all these three years, until the new one grows, the adjacent teeth are forced to fill the formed defect. During chewing, they have an increased load, and the bite may even change. Neighbors begin to disperse to block the gap. And when, after three years, the molar begins to grow, its place has already been taken! We have to resort to long-term treatment at the orthodontist. Therefore, do not start milk teeth before extraction!
It is also very common to believe that milk teeth cannot ache, since they do not have a nerve. This is another myth. The nerves in the milk teeth are present, and they hurt just like the root ones.
- Life does not stand still. New means, methods of treatment, and equipment appear. What news is there on the front of the fight against caries?
- Progress in dentistry is great. For example, if we compare dental equipment today with what it was 15 years ago, the difference is very large. Drills began to work much quieter, technologies were used to reduce pain. For example, air and water are supplied from the handpiece to cool the treatment site. The aspiration system is being improved, when the patient does not have to constantly spit out saliva, as it was before, but it leaves itself through special devices.
I consider many achievements in pediatric dentistry to be a real breakthrough. Very often, children are afraid to treat their teeth and do not go to contact with doctors; in such cases, methods of immersing children into medication sleep are applied. This is not anesthesia, no injections are done. The child is given a mask, from which a special, safe gas is applied that gives a sedative effect. And he falls asleep at the time of dental treatment.
