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Dental Decay and Gum Disease There very many people with the problem of bad breath, gum problems and tooth decay. Dental decay and a gum disease called gingivitis are today the most prevalent diseases in man. Immediately after birth, the mouth contains many kinds of bacteria. A few of these bacteria are harmful to man. The harmful bacteria will constantly keep on forming a sticky film called plaque on the teeth and gums. When we eat sugary food, the sugar combine with plaque and plaque becomes even more harmful. Plaque is also harmful by itself if allowed to remain on the teeth for more than a day. When sugar is taken into the mouth in the form of either food or drink, it is immediately absorbed by saliva, which then attaches itself to the sticky film of plaque. Calculus or Tartar is Hardened Plaque Plaque is that sticky feeling on your teeth when you wake up in the morning. If plaque is not removed daily by brushing, it eventually hardens into calculus or tartar. Once calculus forms it can only be removed by your dentist or hygienist with special tools. If you would remove plaque or calculus from teeth completely, both decay and gum disease would stop. This is because gum disease is caused by plaque. Gum disease is therefore inflammation of the gums due to plaque. Gum disease gingivitis is naturally a very slow process that usually takes very many years to reach a degree at which teeth are lost. During all these years, the gum is usually inflamed with gingivitis. If not corrected early, gingivitis will progress into a stage of advanced gingivitis called periodontitis. At periodontitis stage, even a high quality tooth brush may not control the disease because of the amount of calculus accumulated around the teeth. At periodontitis stage, the bacteria in the calculus start producing waste products which create toxins and volatile sulfur compounds. These toxins and volatile sulfur compounds are the one responsible for the bad breath. The composition of plaque is a mixture of bacteria, saliva proteins, bacterial glues, and water which forms on any hard surface in the mouth. Sugar makes this mixture thicker and stickier. Plaque is always forming all the time on our teeth. What makes the difference is how we brush our teeth. The acids produced in plaque de-mineralize the tooth surface by dissolving the crystals in it. In the early stages of tooth decay, demineralization can be reversed if plaque is regularly removed efficiently and foods with a lot of sugar are avoided. Teeth Brushing and Flossing is to Remove Plaque To remove plaque from your teeth, brush your teeth after every meal. Brushing your teeth before meal is equally important if you are only interested in teeth decay prevention and not gums disease. If the plaque is removed from the teeth before eating, any sugar in the food taken after brushing will remain as sugar because there are no bacteria on the teeth surface to turn that sugar into acid. Teeth brushing and flossing is mainly to remove plaque and not necessarily to remove food particles. Dental Floss for Supplemental Brushing Dental floss, a strong nylon thread specially made for the purpose of cleaning in-between teeth where a toothbrush does not reach, can be used for supplemental brushing. Ask your dentist how to go about using a dental floss - they can damage the gums. Gingivitis Progresses to Periodontitis Gum disease gingivitis is naturally a very slow process that usually takes very many years to reach a degree at which teeth are lost. During all these years, the gum is usually inflamed with gingivitis. If not corrected early, gingivitis will progress into a stage of advanced gingivitis called periodontitis. At periodontitis stage, even a high quality tooth brush may not control the disease because of the amount of calculus accumulated around the teeth. At periodontitis stage, the bacteria in the calculus start producing waste products which create toxins and volatile sulfur compounds. These toxins and volatile sulfur compounds are the one responsible for the bad breath. Let Your Children Reap the Benefits This is the order Gum Disease Gingivitis and periodontitis occurs. It might be happening to you right now. It should not happen to you if you start removing plaque properly before it is too late. You now have the knowledge. Do not allow it to happen to your children. Let your children reap the benefits of the knowledge you have gained on how to avoid gum disease gingivitis and periodontitis as well as tooth decay. The trick is early detection of gum disease, good professional care, and proper oral hygiene with oral health care products available in the market should guarantee a lifetime of healthy teeth and beautiful gums. HubPages. “How to Avoid Gum Disease Gingivitis and Periodontitis.” March 2011.
http://hubpages.com/hub/How-to-Avoid-Gum-Disease-Gingivitis-and-Periodontitis
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