Understanding Tooth Decay

Tooth decay occurs when the enamel of the teeth is attacked by acid produced by decay-causing bacteria.  Every time you eat something with sugar in it, the bacteria are fed and they produce acid when they eat. The acid attack on your teeth lasts for 20 minutes after introducing the sugar into your mouth. That’s why it’s important to be aware of snacking and what’s in your snacks and in between meal drinks. Every time you eat or drink something with sugar in it, whether it’s a lot or a little bit of sugar, there will be an acid attack for 20 minutes after eating or drinking the sugar.

Think about your eating and drinking habits. Are you making your teeth suffer acid attacks for hours each day? It helps to swish and swallow some water after eating if you can’t brush your teeth.

Tooth enamel is the outside of the tooth and it is hard and porous. It consists of many closely-packed rods made of minerals. The acid I mentioned that forms after eating seeps into the enamel’s pores. This causes mineral to be lost from the enamel (a process called demineralization). When mineral is lost from the enamel, the enamel softens and this demineralized spot is a weak spot in the tooth’s surface. If the enamel doesn’t have a chance to remineralize, that is what the decay is – softened, demineralized enamel with bacteria in it. The decay progresses and forms a cavity in the tooth.

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Tooth Decay and Fluoride

When we detect a weak spot on one of our patient’s teeth we recommend at–home fluoride treatments to reverse the decay process. If the weak spot is left unchecked, a cavity may form, necessitating a filling. If decay is allowed to spread it may penetrate deeper into the tooth until it enters the nerve chamber of the tooth. Once this happens the nerve of the tooth is infected and the bacteria that caused the decay keep traveling through the chamber, to the roots, through the root canals and eventually can cause an abscess at the tip of the root. This can also result in the destruction of dental bone at the tip of the tooth root. Decay going through these stages results in the need for root canal therapy in order to save the tooth and stop the infection. If the root canal therapy isn’t done, the tooth needs to be extracted to prevent the spread of infection.

Tooth decay often begins on biting surfaces, between the teeth, and on exposed roots. Cavities left untreated become larger. The decay spreads beneath the enamel, which is the outer part of the crown of the tooth, and can destroy the tooth structure.

Fluoride helps prevent tooth decay by slowing the breakdown of enamel and speeding up the natural remineralization process. Common sources of fluoride are fluoridated drinking water, toothpaste and mouth rinse. Most NJ water is not fluoridated, so it’s important to understand the best way to protect your teeth and your family’s teeth from decay with the help of fluoride. We discuss which sources of fluoride are best for our patients.

 For information about other dental topics visit DrTav.com