Tooth decay, cavities or dental
caries – Where does it begin and why does it end in a filling, crown, root canal
or worse, extraction? As some of you
know from my previous article “The Modern Tooth Brusher”, I have a young infant,
and sometimes it feels like poop preoccupies a whole lot of the day – so today
I am making the science fun and talking in those terms.
Cavities are caused by an interaction
of many events. My fun explanation goes as follows: Sugar Bugs (bacteria) eat
the food we eat and POOP on our teeth (make acid). The Sugar Bugs’ POOP
destroys the hard surface of our teeth leading to holes, which are commonly
called CAVITIES.
Sugar bugs are actually
pretty picky eaters, but that doesn’t mean only candies will cause
cavities. In fact, nearly every
carbohydrate (bread, rice, pasta, cookies, crackers, chips, cereals etc.) going
into our mouth is broken down by spit (saliva) into simple sugars. These simple
sugars are the food bacteria use for energy, and the POOP (waste product) they
make is an acid (among other things).
Even before a hole occurs,
there are early warning signs of decay. Fuzzy white sticky film (plaque) hides
sugar bugs by the millions upon millions.
Their mere presence puts us at risk; it is only a matter of time before
they leave cavity-forming POOP.
So what’s the big deal if
Sugar Bugs are Pooping all over your teeth anyways? Aside from how gross this
realization is, that Poop is really harmful stuff. The Poop is a combination of acids, with the
primary ingredient being vinegar (acetic acid).
Take pause from the dental world and think of the ways we use vinegar –
especially cleaning and descaling your kettle or coffee maker.
Try this fun experiment: take
an uncooked egg and paint a smiley face on it with clear nail polish. Let it
dry completely. Now place it in a cup of
vinegar on the counter and leave it there for up to two weeks. Take notes
daily. The smiley face is protected from
the vinegar.
Acids dissolve minerals, and
our teeth are made up of minerals just like the eggshell. The bottom line is if you expose your teeth
to acids for long enough, they will break down.
If you scratch off that
sticky white stuff from your teeth (a tooth brush works well), you may see
hiding under the film a white spot. A WHITE SPOT on a tooth can be the first visible
sign of mineral loss. WHITE SPOTS are strong risk factors for developing a
cavity, and aggressive risk management should be taking place on a daily basis.
Left unmanaged, the Sugar Bugs’ Poop will wash away the hard surface of
our teeth and a cavity will develop.
Start managing the sugar bugs daily: be cognizant of what
you eat and how often, brush your teeth, floss, use a fluoride toothpaste and
visit your dentist regularly for continuing care. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of
cure!
Dr. Daniel Charland BMSc, DDS, Cert Ped. Dent., MS, FRCD(C)
Certified Specialist in Pediatric Dentistry
Burlington Pediatric Dentistry
