Tooth Decay Definition

Definition

Tooth decay, also known as dental caries, is a disorder of the mouth in which bacteria living in the mouth break down carbohydrates in food. The bacteria produce acids that eat away at the enamel—the hard smooth outer surface of the tooth—eventually producing cavities in the enamel. If untreated, cavities can lead to toothache, loss of the tooth, and bacterial infections spreading to the gums and other tissues.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Town without a Toothache

Image
The Town without a Toothache Hereford, Texas became known as the “Town without a Toothache” in 1942 due to the pioneering work of dentist George Heard and author of Man Versus Toothache . Dr. Heard explains the town’s secret: After a newcomer has lived in Hereford a few years, provided he had drunk lots of raw whole milk, he develops resistance to tooth decay. Even the tooth cavities which he brings with him when he comes to Hereford will be glazed over, if he has drunk raw milk. For years I made inquiry of my patients as to their milk habits. Almost invariably I found that the possessor of a mouth full of sound teeth had been a consistent milk drinker from early childhood. A surprisingly large number liked either buttermilk, clabber or both. The significant fact is that the milk those patients drank came from cows that had grazed on native grass in Deaf Smith County pastures. In winter, as a rule, the cows had grazed on green wheat. 1a My fellow dentists heard me ou...
Read more

Tooth Decay Treatment

Tooth Decay Treatment The treatment of tooth decay depends on the extent and severity of the problem. If the decay has just begun, the dentist may apply a solution of fluoride to stop the decay process. If the decay has progressed further, the dentist may need to drill away the decayed material or even remove the tooth. A small area of tooth decay is filled with a silver alloy, a composite resin, gold, or porcelain. Dentists call a filling a dental restoration. If much of the tooth must be removed, the dentist will drill away the top of the tooth and replace it with what is called a crown or a cap. If the tooth decay has affected the pulp in the center of the tooth and destroyed the nerve endings, the dentist removes the pulp along with any decayed portions of the tooth and fills the center of the tooth with a sealing mate- rial. This procedure is called a root canal. If the tooth is badly decayed, was broken in an accident, or is likely to cause trouble in the future, the dentist w...
Read more

Are Grains the Hidden Reason for many Modern Diseases including Tooth Cavities?

Are Grains the Hidden Reason for many Modern Diseases including Tooth Cavities? 9,000 years ago around 7,000 BC wheat and barley were first cultivated. Corn and rice followed 2,500 years later in 4,500 BC. According to human fossil records, prior to this time period, tooth decay was virtually unknown. Teeth recovered from Pakistan dating to around 5,500 BC show signs of being drilled, presumably because of cavities. For the last 5,000 years the average rate of tooth decay has been climbing. The rise in the rate of tooth decay has also been seen in Native Americans who switched from a hunter gatherer lifestyle to a more heavily corn-based diet. The cultivation of grains has fostered the evolution of civilization, allowing city centers to emerge in which large groups of people live together such as in ancient Egypt. Grains also made it possible to raise large armies as it resolved the logistical problem of feeding thousands of soldiers. In Weston Price’s field studies, a diet centere...
Read more