Tooth Decay Description

Tooth Decay Description

Tooth decay begins with plaque, a thin film that is a mixture of saliva, bacteria, and dead cells from the tissues that line the mouth. When a person eats foods rich in carbohydrates—sugary or starchy foods—the bacteria in the plaque ferment the sugars in these foods, forming lactic acid. Plaque builds up on teeth if it is not removed by regular flossing and brushing, eventually hardening into a whitish substance called tartar.

The surfaces of human teeth are basically composed of minerals that are sensitive to acid. Under normal circumstances, minerals lost from the tooth surface are replaced by the saliva. But when plaque is not removed from the teeth by brushing or flossing, the acid formed by the bacteria begins to remove enamel from the surface of the tooth faster than the

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saliva can restore it. At this point the surface of the tooth begins to develop small pits or cavities. If these are not attended to, they can grow larger and move inward to affect the dentin, a layer of hard tissue below the enamel. Dentin is softer than enamel and protects the pulp at the center of the tooth. When the cavity cuts through the enamel into the dentin, it speeds up the decay process. The pulp contains nerve endings that become inflamed when the bacteria from the mouth are able to gain entry.

Once the tooth decay reaches the pulp, the person may experience pain when biting down on food or the more severe toothache. If the inflammation has spread to affect the jawbone underlying the tooth, the person may develop a pus-filled hollow known as an abscess. In extreme cases, the bacteria may spread to other parts of the face or enter the blood- stream and spread infection to other parts of the body.

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