Dental Health and Teeth Problems
Tooth decay and periodontal disease are the biggest dangers to your dental health. These two diseases start because of plaque (a sticky layer that covers your teeth during the day). Although both tooth decay and periodontal disease can cause serious teeth problems and lead to their loss, they are quite different. Firstly, these two conditions occur due to two different kinds of oral bacteria; secondly, while gum disease usually affects gum tissues, tooth decay leads to the destruction of teeth.
Many people become affected by dental problems like these. According to statistics, tooth decay comes right after the common cold by the incidence numbers. In fact, at least 50% of US citizens over 30 are likely to experience tooth decay.
Tooth decay progresses quite fast once it has started, and these are the main stages:
1. Growth of bacteria. The bacteria responsible for this process belong to the streptococcus family. Streptococcus are the species that in most cases are found in plaque; they contribute to the process of decay. Other types of bacteria can be also found, but their impact is not as strong. Actinomyces participate in decay around the exposed teeth roots, while lactobacilli accumulate in the crevices of the crown, affecting its normal condition.
2. Teeth demineralization. The bacteria live feeding on the supply of sugars that, combined with lack of dental hygiene, provides for the perfect conditions for growth. When sugar is digested by the bacteria, some acid is produced, which is so strong it can dissolve the enamel; this process is called demineralization. Normally this process is controlled, as the body is able to restore the enamel faster than it gets destroyed, but the erosion becomes more dramatic and difficult to compensate when a lot of bacteria start to produce big amounts of acid. Tooth decay develops as a result of this “battle” – it takes months and months of demineralization and remineralization.
3. Decay: the first stage. When the first signs of dental problems appear, they are not obvious for the patient. There is no dental pain or anything that can indicate you are having any teeth problems. It’s your dentist who can detect the illness at this stage: there are white or brown spots on a tooth that can de seen during an X-ray, and the area affected will be different from the healthy one. It’s very important to detect the disease at this stage, as there is still a pretty good chance it can be reversed.
4. Formation of cavities. If the presence of excessive amounts of acid is not detected, it continues its work; as a result a cavity may form. It takes approximately three to four years for this to happen, and the tooth becomes unable to restore itself as this condition is irreversible. The dentin (calcified tissue surrounding the pulp cavity of a tooth and comprising the bulk of the tooth) consists of the living cells and mineral crystals, and they are vulnerable to the formation of cavities. The danger lies in the fact that the decay that has already developed can travel to other parts of the tooth, destroying its tissue, even though it is covered by sound enamel. That’s when you first experience dental pain: you can have this response if you are eating cold, hot or sweet food (sensitive teeth).
5. Pulpitis. If a cavity is not treated, it continues to extend, affecting the soft pulp tissues and causing pulpitis (pulp inflammation). The tissue inside your tooth swells and starts pressing the dentin from the inside. However, as the dentin is still too strong, the swollen pulp squeezes the blood vessels and cuts off the blood supply to the tooth, which leads to the pulp death. Severe dental pain is the most likely symptom at this stage.
6. Abscess and beginning of the systemic disease. The infection is then likely to go to the tooth root, where an abscess is formed (an inflamed pocket, sometimes with pus), and then it spreads to the tissue surrounding it. In fact, the infection can enter the bloodstream and lead to the fatal outcome.
Although potentially any surface of the tooth is vulnerable to the process of decay, the most dangerous case is when bacteria accumulate in the hard-to-reach spots. The most susceptible areas are the crevices (also referred to as fissures and pits) on the crown, the neck of the tooth (the part exposed at the gum line) and the spaces between the teeth. Root decay is also commonly found in people with previous periodontal disease, which weakens the defenses of their tooth enamel.
Decay is easy to spot if you visit your dentist regularly, as the doctor can easily detect it during the examination or using an X-ray. There used to be another method of detecting the disease – by probing the soft areas in the teeth with a sharp metal instrument; this technique is not applied anymore as it was suspected it could contribute to the worsening of the condition by spreading the bacteria from the affected teeth to the healthy ones.
However, identifying dental problems is not as easy as easy as it sounds as often people disregard their problems, such as sensitive teeth, constant pain, etc., hoping it will go away by itself. Once you visit your dentist, it’s necessary to have a full examination (especially if it has been years since you last went to the doctor). Today the methods of spotting current and potential teeth problems are becoming more and more sophisticated: technologies, such as electrical current, laser energy or fiber-optic light may soon be used worldwide for the timely detection and treatment of such conditions.
Back to Dental Health
