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Mechanism of Formation of Tooth Decay
Tooth decay can be defined to be a formation of hollow space on a tooth
due loss of its enough mineral content. The process that takes place is
termed as demineralization which is caused due to acids’ presence on a
dental surface.
Origin of Acids to Cause Tooth Decay
The acids causing dental demineralization (hollow space formation) are
created by particular kinds of microbes (mutants streptococci and lactobacilli)
living in tooth plaque.
Such microbes are living beings just like us. When we eat foodstuff and
drinks, we also generate useless products. Microbes too do the same. The
microbes causing tooth decay exploit sugars - glucose, sucrose, fructose,
lactose, or cooked starches as their food origins. The useless products
derived from digested sugars are the lactic acids which induce de-mineralizing
of dental enamel and dentin.
The microbes always live in our mouth, get their share when we eat, and
while doing so, we swallow foods containing sugars like candy, milk, fruits
and vegetables. And in moments they start yielding the acids to form tooth
decay.
Dental Plaque Makes Room for the Oral Microbes to Cause Tooth Decay
Human mouth is colonized by microbes; in fact, a lone human mouth can
comprise more microbes than the people living on the earth. If you are
unable to purify your mouth, you should at least diminish the potential
from encountering tooth decay. You can do this by disallowing the prevailing
microbes to form planned colonies which are termed as "tooth plaque."
Tooth plaque not only allows oral microbes; rather it functions as a means
to hold the acid they yield directly touching a tooth's surface. Looking
at the illustration in the left, when there is active production of acid,
i.e., while consuming sugar, certain acids so produced will seep off the
tooth plaque's surface and enter our mouth. However, this acid will not
cause tooth decay but the acids which enter into our mouth will get thinned,
cushioned with saliva washing them away besides the foods and beverages
we consume.
The involvement of acid in de-mineralizing a tooth's surface, and thus
causing tooth decay, seeps in the reverse direction towards the plaque
and down to the dental's surface. This acid will lie beneath the tooth
plaque and directly against the teeth. And since the tooth plaque concealing
this acid will act as a shield, there is ineffective thinning, cushioning
besides cleansing action induced by saliva. In other words, the acid will
tend to stay behind in a very rigorous form (a pH of 4 and lower) briefly
after its creation, and hence dental demineralization will occur for a
prolonged period.
With time, saliva will make a way into the tooth plaque and start having
its counterbalancing outcome on the acids so created in reaction to the
sweetened meal. However, this can consume a couple of hours.
The extent of dental demineralization that occurs post exposing to sugar
is partly related to the era of the tooth plaque. Features like the thickness,
compound character, and kinds of microbes existing in tooth plaque link
with its era. A few hours’ old plaque cannot produce same tooth demineralization
which plaque which is several days old can do.
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