How caries is formed: when the teeth are in danger

If somewhere in the world there lives a person who has no idea about caries, you can't call him anything other than lucky. Because only extreme luck and the absence of any risk factors can keep teeth perfectly healthy.

At least, that's what dentists who know everything about dental diseases and ready to share important information about how caries forms.

Despite the high prevalence of this disease, understanding the causes and mechanisms of its development can become a reliable basis for the prevention of dental diseases.

• How caries is formed: mechanisms of disease progression
• What contributes to the development of caries: the main risk factors

How caries is formed: mechanisms of disease development

Like most other diseases, caries goes through several stages of development.

I stage: spotting

Everything starts with "a trifle" — with the so-called spot stage. A tiny area of ​​enamel acquires a chalky texture, which indicates a decrease in density and loosening of the enamel. At this stage, caries is almost impossible to detect on your own — only a dentist, using special tools, can determine the problem. But at             few turn to a doctor: the lesions in the tooth have not yet reached the degree of causing pain or discomfort.

II stage: beginning of dentin destruction

At this stage, the enamel of the teeth is destroyed enough for the person to pay attention to the problem. A dark spot becomes visible on the tooth, with  pitched" surface. Exception — cervical (under the gum) and  contact caries (in the place where two adjacent teeth come into contact) with these types of disease, obvious signs are observed later. Depending on how thin the dentin is under the lesion, a person may complain of discomfort during meals and increased sensitivity of teeth to heat and cold. But also, there may be no symptoms at all.

III stage: complete destruction of dentine

At this stage, there is a pronounced destruction of the dentin — insulating tissue between enamel and pulp. Now the dentin does not perform its functions very well and heat, cold, chemical irritants (acid, sugar, salt) can cause more or less severe pain. At the same stage, bad breath appears, which is briefly eliminated with the help of brushing your teeth. Cause — accumulation of bacteria, soft plaque and food fragments in carious cavity.

IV stage: development of pulpitis (inflammation of the pulp)

At this stage, tooth decay reaches the pulp. This is the soft part of the tooth, the neurovascular bundle, which is responsible for  blood supply and  innervation of the teeth. 
Now the pain is not simply expressed — it literally deprives you of peace and sleep. She is especially worried at night, and painkillers are ineffective.

What contributes to the development of caries: the main risk factors

Today, most dentists support the theory of a genetic predisposition to caries. According to thinner and less dense enamel (a factor that facilitates the penetration of bacteria into tooth) — a trait that is passed on from parents to children.

But unfavorable heredity — not sentence. This is clearly demonstrated by families in which some children retain healthy teeth until old age, while others are forced to resort to prosthetics already in their 30s.

There is no mysticism in the fact: the first take proper care of oral health, and the latter ignore the risk factors leading to dental diseases.

So, what are the circumstances that make caries more likely?

• Incorrect, irregular or poor oral hygiene. It is important to brush your teeth at least twice a day, and use the entire set of "accessories" — brush with  paste, dental floss and  rinse. And if there are malocclusion, crowding of teeth and other anomalies that make it difficult to brush your teeth, oral care should be supplemented with the use of an irrigator.

Read also: The benefits of an irrigator: why you should buy this device tomorrow

• Absence or deficiency in the diet of roughage. Teeth are for chewing food — in the process, they not only grind it, but also clean their surfaces from plaque. From this point of view, fresh and dense vegetables and fruits (carrots, apples, pears) are most valuable, which provide the teeth with optimal loads.

• Bad habits.Although drinking alcohol and smoking do not directly affect teeth, they disrupt the acid-base balance of saliva and reduce its bactericidal properties. And smoking additionally causes dryness of the mucosa in the oral cavity, which leads to a decrease in local immunity.

• Excess carbohydrate food in the diet. Consumption of sweets as a cause of caries has long been refuted. But there is one "but". Candies, pastries, and jams really won't hurt your teeth, as long as good oral hygiene is maintained. But if you ignore the rules of caring for your teeth, carbohydrate foods will create ideal conditions for the reproduction of bacteria responsible for caries. And its sticky consistency will "cement" soft plaque and  accelerate the formation of tartar.

By eliminating just 4 risk factors, you can reliably protect your teeth from caries and keep them health for many years.

Read also: Causes of caries: how to protect your teeth

Read also: 10 things to do every day to keep your teeth and gums healthy

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