Dental Cavities Abstract

DentalCavities

Abstract

Thedental cavity has become a constant nuisance to humans consideringthe pains that the victims undergo. It typically is the presence of ahole in a tooth that changes its appearance. A dental cavity standsout to be one of the most significant causes of tooth loss that tendsto interfere with personal beauty. This paper is going to base itsconcepts around the scientific explanation of how it happens, thecauses, symptoms and successful ways that it could be prevented. Whenenamel surface is worn away by the acids, tooth decay takes place.The sticky film involved in making these acids is called plaque. Someof the symptoms that have been pointed out include a toothache,sensitivity, and black, white or brown stains. Treatments includefilling, crown and root canal. Oral hygiene is the key to dentalcavity protection. It includes brushing the teeth for a minimum oftwo times each day, regular professional cleaning every six months,and flossing at least daily(Santos, Oliveira, Nadanovsky, 2013).

Evenwith the increasing developments in oral disease science, dentalcavities still is a global health concern that affects young adultsand children. It has become a constant nuisance to humans consideringthe pains that the victims undergo. It is certainly not the oldestpathology or a great prevalence for humankind, but the facts thatcould extrapolate from such pathologies is prodigious. Cavity diseasehappens to teeth altering the structure, strength and making themweak until destruction. It typically is the presence of a hole in atooth that changes its appearance. A dental cavity stands out to beone of the most significant causes of tooth loss that tends tointerfere with personal beauty.

Thetooth’s hard surface is known as enamel. When this surface is wornaway by the acids, tooth decay takes place. Plaque is the sticky filminvolved in making these acids. The mouth is made up of bacteria thatconvert sugar and starch to acids. A combination of saliva, fooddebris, acid, and bacteria forms plaque as mentioned above and itadheres to the teeth. Plaque is mostly found in back molars, the edgeof fillings and above the gum line. In cases where a plaque is notremoved from the teeth, it ends up mineralizing into tartar, andthese two irritates the gums thus causing gingivitis and eventuallyperiodontitis. Twenty minutes after eating, the plaque is usuallybuilt up, and if not thoroughly removed, tooth decay starts.

Plaguecontains germs that feed on any sugary food. There is a process fordigesting these sugars which result in making acids that attack toothsurfaces (Holloway, Moore, 2012). As tooth decay continues, holesknown as cavities are formed. If not given the proper treatment, theyget bigger every day leading to tooth destruction. The acids mayattack the tooth surface constantly, but the decay does not occur atonce. The reason as to this is that the mouth is composed of otherelements that make the tooth strong thus stopping the process oftooth decay. Among these components is the saliva which containsminerals that play a role of teeth strengthening. Another naturalmineral is fluoride, a frequent additional component in water andalso present in toothpaste. One of the foods that intensify the riskof cavities is carbohydrates. For sticky foods, they remain on toothsurface thus making them even more harmful. The reason why snacks arealso dangerous is that they increase the period of contact betweenacids and teeth surface. Other diseases of the tooth could also causedental cavities (Laudenbach, Simon, 2014).

Aperson may not be aware of the condition occurrence particularly inthe early stages. A toothache is among the initial signs. It isnormal to experience sharp pains from time to time especially whenthe infected tooth bites anything. At times, the pain could beunbearable. Infected teeth may also become very sensitive. Thesensitivity of a tooth is also known as dentin hypersensitivity. Thishappens as a result of the protective surface, enamel, becomingthinner. Gum recession may also occur leading to exposure of theunderlying surface. The surface of the teeth could be stained white,black or brown and holes become visible. A chalky white place on theface of the tooth could be an early spot of a new lesion.

Itis necessary for a person to visit the dentist during early stages toavoid losing teeth. Treatment could involve fillings, crowns, androot canals. Material such as alloy silver, gold or porcelain may beused to fill the gap left after the dentist removes the decayedsubstance using a drill. Porcelain and composite resin are preferredfor front teeth due to their close resemblance to the natural toothappearance. Silver amalgam also known as alloy is highly consideredfor back teeth by dentists as a result of their outside trait ofstrength. Dentists also have a tendency of using high strengthcomposite resin on back teeth. When tooth decay is extensive, and thetooth surface is limited, crowns or caps are used. Putting largefillings on weak teeth may cause tooth break. The parts that haveundergone decay are the ones removed and treated. Crown is made ofgold or porcelain, and it is usually fitted over the remainingportions of the tooth. In case a tooth nerve dies because of thedecay or maybe injury, a root canal is recommended. In thissituation, the middle part of the tooth together with the nerve andblood vessels tissues is removed not leaving the decayed sections. Asealing material is then used to fill the roots. The positioning of acrown over the tooth may take place if necessary. Going for treatmentsaves you the trouble of losing the teeth. Early treatment isrecommendable as it is less painful and expensive than when a toothgets to extensive decay. Numbing medicine, laughing gas and otherpain relieving prescriptions may be needed after or during drilling.Some of the distresses you may experience in the process includediscomfort, inability to bite, pain, and sensitivity.

Eventhough people want beautiful teeth, they are not aware of thepractices that can help in protecting them. Preventionof dental cavities is easier than enduring the pain of tooth loss andtreatment. Oral hygiene is at the top list of dental cavityprotection measures. It includes brushing the teeth for a minimum oftwo times each day, regular professional cleaning every six months,and flossing at least daily(Santos, Oliveira, Nadanovsky, 2013).X-rays could also be taken per year for detection of possible cavityoccurrence in some parts of the mouth. Sticky foods like candy shouldbe included in the diet instead of taking them as a snack. Rinsing orbrushing the teeth after taking such snacks could also help inpreventing dental cavities (Twetman, Dhar, 2015). Reducing the levelof snack consumption ensures a constant supply of acid in the mouth.Continuous habits of sipping sugary drinks should be avoided.

Takingcare of our teeth is as important as taking care of our health.Preventive measures should be adopted from childhood to achieveexcellent results. This comes down to the duty of the parents towardshelping children take care of their teeth (Silk,2014). Choosing whata child eats is the first step to having healthy teeth.

Reference

HollowayPJ Moore, W.J. (2012).The role of sugar in the etiology of dentalcaries, 11 (3): 189–213

Laudenbach,J., M., Simon, Z. (2014). Common Dental and Periodontal Diseases:Evaluation and Management. TheMedical clinics of North America.98 (6): 1239–1260

Santos,A., P., Oliveira, B. H., Nadanovsky, P. (2013). Effects of low andstandard fluoride toothpaste on caries and fluorosis: systematicreview and meta-analysis. CariesResearch.47 (5): 382–390

Silk,H (2014). Diseases of the mouth: Primary care. 41 (1): 75–90.

Twetman,S., Dhar, V.(2015). Evidence of effectiveness of current therapies toprevent and treat early childhood caries: Pediatric dentistry. 37(3): 246–53. PMID 26063553.