Tooth Decay and how to avoid it !

Every time we eat carbohydrate (especially sugars) the bacteria in plaque turns it into acid which dissolves the tooth surface away i.e. Tooth Decay.

CARIES - CRITICAL pH . ENAMEL DISSOLVES AT pH 5.5
DENTINE AT pH 6.5.

Acidity is measured on a pH scale from 1 to 14, 1 being strongly acidic to 14 being strongly alkaline. Your teeth are soaked in saliva usually with a pH of about 7. Luckily acid decay is usually a slow process with the bacteria acid dissolving the calcium part of your teeth for 30-60 minutes after every meal, but then the saliva can put it back and repair the limited damage. Alas a cavity occurs when the acid attack is stronger than the repair.

Healthy Tooth Anatomy

Abscess on Tooth

So how can we reduce our tooth decay ?

Change our Diet

Reduce sugar in our diet. Unfortunately sugar is often found in food we don't expect. Carefully look at the ingredients in your food. Soon after eating the plaque creates acid which quickly becomes below a pH of 5.5 (enamel dissolves at this pH) in only 5 minutes. However it can take up to 60 minutes for your pH to normalise. This means if you have breakfast decay starts in 5 minutes and can last up to 60 minutes, a mid morning snack another 60 minutes of acid before normalising; lunch causes another acid attack; afternoon drink or snack another; tea or dinner yet another 60 minute block of decay. Therefore your teeth are under attack from decay nearly all day and will eventually be damaged beyond repair. Try to limit sugary food to mealtimes.

Remove the Plaque Bacteria

The bacterial plaque eats the sugars in your food to make the acid. Use a toothbrush every day for at least 2 minutes after each meal or at least morning and evening.

Use floss or interdental brushes to clean in between your teeth. Use of antibacterial mouthwashes after brushing also helps.

Make the Tooth stronger

Fluoride helps the tooth resist acid attack. With small amounts of fluoride attached to the tooth more acid is needed before the tooth is dissolved. It is important to use a fluoride toothpaste and maybe a flouride mouthwash to strengthen your teeth.

This is especially important in areas like Ruabon, Wrexham where no flouride is added to the water supply. Note you must not exceed manufacturers recommendations of fluoride levels especially with regard to age.

Stimulate our Saliva

As we get older or whilst taking medication the quality of our saliva decreases and unfortunately may itself be slightly acidic.

Stimulated saliva has a higher pH than rest saliva so chewing sugar free gum to stimulate saliva will help protect your teeth. Make sure you drink lots of water (as a rough guide 2 litres a day) so you do not dehydrate and reduce or even stop saliva flow.