Dental caries an overview :
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| All about Dental Decay |
Dental decay in medical terms is called 'Dental caries'
Did you know it is the most common disease in the world
Table of contents :
4. What will happen if left untreated?
5. Prevention
1.what is dental decay?
The Actual definition is dental caries is a multifactorial microbial infectious disease characterized by demineralization of the organic and destruction of the inorganic substance of the teeth,
In simple terms, Bacteria destroys the hard tooth structure and reaches its inner softcore, which leads to infection and pain.
2.what is the reason?
As mentioned in the definition, dental decay is a multifactorial disease.
Improper oral hygiene:
The food particles which struck into our teeth contains sugar, bacteria in our mouth break down this sugar and forms acids, this acid destroys our tooth
Saliva:
saliva flushes out the debris from our tooth, and also it has antibacterial and remineralization properties, In some medical conditions and old age, there will be reduced salivary secretion, so its reduced level can increase dental decay
Tooth structure :
Sometimes our teeth may have week enamel, deep grooves, spaced arrangement, and rotations, which facilitates food lodgement and caries progression
3. Treatment options :
Treatment depends on the depth of caries invasion
Broadly teeth have three parts,
1.Enamel: This is the hardest part in your body, outer hard covering of the teeth
Damage to enamel leads to discoloration and small cavitation
Treatment will be removing the decay and filling it with proper dental material
2. Dentin: It is the inner soft layer
The damage involves dentin leads to severe sensitivity and visible cavitation
Treatment for both enamel and dentinal level decay is, removing the decay and filling it with suitable material, the filling material also depends on the depth
3: pulp: Pulp is the inner part, it is nothing but the blood and nervous supply system of the tooth
Decay involving pulp can give you pain and swelling
Treatment options include
1.Root canal treatment - nothing but removing the infected pulp and filling the tooth, fixing crown after root canal treatment is advisable.
2. If more than 75% of the tooth structure is lost, we cannot save the tooth, we should go for tooth removal and replacement
Dental implants are the perfect replacements after tooth removal. There are other fixed and removable replacement options also available.
4.What will happen if left untreated?
Tooth loss :
If more than 75% of the tooth structure is gone, we cannot save the tooth, that tooth will go for removal
sometimes tooth will break into small pieces only the root stumps will retain
Tooth Mobility :
The root end infection may loosen your tooth attachment
Swelling :
Infection in your tooth root end will spread into the bone and tissues around your tooth.
At starting stage the swelling will be in your gums, if left untreated it may spread to your jaw up to the eyelid which leads to severe cellulitis ( space infection )
Septicemia :
This is a condition when the infection from your teeth enters your bloodstream and spreads.
5 .prevention :
Although dental caries is the most common disease globally, it is also the easiest one to prevent.
1.Brushing twice a day
2.using fluoridated toothpaste
3.maintaining proper oral hygiene
4.Rinse your mouth after each and every meal
4. Avoid sticky sugar foods & junk foods
5. Aligning your teeth
6.Filling deep grooves and pits in your teeth
7.Last but not least, twice a year dental check-up.
If you have any other quires/doubts ask me in the comments
