Every time we look at the TV we are shown images of glamorous, gorgeous people, and the ordinary person can feel presssured to achieve the same standards. A lot of people assume that good hair and skin care routines are the answer to achieving these standards, a lot of people also forget the most essential thing to looking good - a healthy smile. A good dental care routine should be top of everyone’s list, but it is obvious this is not always the case. Tooth decay instead of declining is still on the increase.
Our experiences as children at the hands of the dentist often reflect how we care for our teeth in the future. I can remember the awful taste of the fluoride treatments my parents made me have. I always had regular check-ups, yet still my teeth have succumbed to decay. This is not because I looked after teeth as a child, but the fact that this care lapsed in later life. An addiction to anything sweet did not help either.
Brushing our teeth for an insuficient amount of time will lead to small amounts of food stuffs remaining in our mouths, especially around the teeth. Sadly the bacteria in the mouth can feed off this and replicate at an alarming rate. Bacteria produce acid and it is this acid which causes most harm to our teeth. If the bacteria has a large amount of material to “feed” off then it is obvious that there will be more bacteria and, therefore, more acid and, subsequently, more damage to our teeth. Ultimately the acid will cause cavities and, eventually, the tooth may collapse.
The name of this harmful bacteria is “Streptococcus Mutans”. The occurrence of decay does not happen overnight, it can take quite a long time as the outside layer of the tooth (enamel) is hard while the inside is soft. It can take years for the bacteria to attack and wear away the enamel, once this has happened the centre of the tooth is attacked and because of it’s texture succumbs to decay a lot quicker.
Dentists will tell you that the most common place for cavities to first appear is inbetween the teeth. The good news is that with proper care and attention this need not be the case. As well as brushing teeth, it is extremely important that we all floss. Flossing is the best way of removing food that has become trapped in the small gap between teeth.
Some people think mouthwash is just for freshening and making our breath smell sweeter. However, mouthwash is another invaluable tool in the fight against tooth decay. It has an anti-bacterial action which helps keep harmful bacteria at bay, hence reducing the chances of acids harming the teeth.
It is really easy to prevent tooth decay. There is no cast iron guarantee, but surely prevention is better than the treatment. One common reason for tooth decay is not paying special attention to brushing and flossing. Smoking is also a contributor, so do not smoke tobacco. The most common cause is sugar. An excess of fluoride is also a known contributor, not only is fluoride found in dental products but is also added to most water supplies.
Having a poor dental hygiene routine is what eventually leads to decay and bad breath. If we all learnt how to look after our teeth properly, and followed the advice of our dentists, then we would not need to visit him so often for unpleasant treatments.
