Home
Updates
Forums
Index of Topics
Advertising With Us
Child Dentist
Cosmetics/Veneers
Crowns and Implants
Cavities
Tooth Whitening
Dental Fillings
Dental Infections
Dentures/Partials
Need a Dentist?
Oral Surgery
Gum Disease
Root Canals
Toothaches
Tooth Injury
Average Dental Fees
Dental Xrays
Dog Dental Care
Braces-Retainers
Nitrous Oxide
Dentist Education
Sedation Dentistry
Dental Products
Dental Premedication
Nightguards/Grinding
TMJ
Dental Blogs
Favorite Links
CONTACT US

XML RSS
What is this?
Add to My Yahoo!
Add to My MSN
Add to Google

DENTIST CAVITIES




powered by FreeFind





DENTIST CARIES and DENTIST CAVITIES are synonymous, meaning they are the same. Both refer to DENTAL DECAY, which is what eats away teeth.

dentist cavities tooth cavities tooth caries

*NOTICE THE BLACK GROOVES IN THE CENTER OF THIS TOOTH- THIS IS DECAY




dentist cavities tooth cavities tooth caries

This is what a cavity looks like on an xray. The arrows are surrounding a dark shadow, which indicates decay. This is a very deep cavity which may end up causing the tooth to need a root canal. (Many small cavities are not really visible to the untrained eye)

*note, the whitest part on the tooth indicates an amalgam/silver filling.








HOW DOES IT OCCUR?

There are specific strains of BACTERIA which cause CAVITIES. If you have any of those strains of BACTERIA in your mouth, you can get CAVITIES.

And IF YOU DO NOT…

You will NOT get cavities.

THIS IS WHY SOME PEOPLE DO NOT BRUSH AND DO NOT GET CAVITIES, WHILE SOME BRUSH CONSTANTLY, AND STILL GET CAVITIES!
dentist cavities, decaying tooth, tooth caries

The bacteria needs 2 more things to survive.

They need a HOST, which PLAQUE and CALCULUS/TARTER provide, and

and FOOD, which SUGAR or other food products provide.

So, if you have the BACTERIA, and do not remove the PLAQUE, you WILL get CAVITIES!!
dentist cavities, decaying tooth, tooth caries

dentist cavities tooth cavities tooth caries


DECAY ALONG THE GUMLINE OF A TOOTH


dentist cavities, decaying tooth, tooth caries
CAN IT BE TRANSMITTED?
YES. You can acquire the cavity causing bacteria from others, say, a SPOUSE, or SIGNIFICANT OTHER. Meaning, if you have never had a cavity, but your new significant other has a mouthful of FILLINGS, LOOK OUT!



CONTRIBUTING FACTORS:

HOME CARE: Excellent home care can remove PLAQUE and CALCULUS, which disrupts the BACTERIAL colonies, and prevents decay.

It takes plaque about 24 hours to build up, so it is normally recommended to brush at least twice a day, and floss once a day.

DIET: Many small meals may be good for your metabolism, but it is also good for the BACTERIA’S. Food spread throughout the day, gives the bacteria a constant source of food as well.

The worst offenders are SUGAR containing products, such as SOFT DRINKS, SWEETENED COFFEE or TEA, CANDIES, or other SWEETS.

FLUORIDE: Fluoride has been proven to be one of the most effective anti cavity agents. It is very important to expose teeth to it both when the teeth are developing and after they have erupted. It is in most toothpastes and in the drinking water of many cities, but some children may need supplements if they are in places where there is not fluoride readily available.

ANTI-BACTERIAL PRODUCTS: Products containing XYLITOL, which is an artificial sweetener found in some sugar free gums, may help reduce the amount of cavity causing bacteria. It is recommended to use these products up to 5x per day, which seems like a lot, but even if you only use them 1-2x/day, it is still better than chewing gum without it.

CHLORHEXIDINE: This is a prescription mouthrise which has antibacterial qualities which can also reduce the amount of cavity causing bacteria. Your dentist can prescribe how to use it and it is normally not used on a long term basis.

Over the long run it can cause some very slight staining of the teeth, but this goes away after it's use is discontinued, and the benefits far outweigh the possible side effects.



SIGN UP FOR OUR FREE EZINE, "MY FAVORITE DENTIST!"

Website hosted by Sitesell.com


footer for dentist cavities page