Fitness and Health

Dental caries is an infectious disease that occurs due to the action of acids produced by microorganisms that are part of the plaque, and is characterized by the destruction of dental hard tissues.

Factors involved in the formation of cavities

Most people are unaware of the causes of tooth decay. All parents warn their children of the risk of eating sweets and not brushing their teeth, but behind a carious lesion there are enough factors involved in its formation.

Therefore, we assume that caries is a multifactorial disease, but what are these factors?.

There are some factors that must always be present for the formation of cavities such as micro-organisms, carbohydrates, tooth susceptibility and the time factor. Keep in mind that the action of acids produced when microorganisms metabolize carbohydrates on the tooth surface, takes place over a period of time.
Knowing the Caries

We also find mitigating factors predisposing to the formation of cavities:

Race: There are more prone to certain population groups than others, perhaps because of the racial influence on the morphology of the tooth mineralization, the type of diet …

Heredity: Some people virtually immune to decay and other highly susceptible. This feature will see that it is transmitted from parents to children.

Diet: To assess the power cariogenic diet, would have to take into account various factors such as sugar, the consistency of the food (for the same amount of sugar would be more damaging in the form of toffee that soft drink), the frequency of use (more often, more time is the low pH), the consumption during or between meals (during meals produces more saliva, which protects against caries) and protective factors (such as cheese, which made after food intake, appears to reduce the acidity of the plate).

Chemical composition: the presence of certain elements in the enamel become more resistant to decay. One of them is fluorine. Hence its importance in preventing tooth decay. The absence of these in the drinking water during enamel formation can make it more susceptible against acid attack.

Dental morphology: tooth malposition, the crowding, the depth of the pits and fissures of teeth … facilitate the production of caries.

Oral Hygiene: good hygiene significantly reduces the incidence of caries on an individual. Include the use of a good brushing technique with a suitable brush, using dental floss to clean the interdental areas (the areas of contact between the teeth where plaque builds up hard to remove if not flossing) and other possible elements.

Immune system is immune factors that protect the body against certain attacks, such as immunoglobulin A (present in the saliva).

Salivary flow, quantity, consistency and composition have a decisive influence.
Systemic diseases and deficiency states favor the formation of cavities.

Stages of decay

Food and microorganisms are trapped in undercuts plate.
This plaque matures and begins to produce acids. When this layer undergoes changes in its acidity by fermentation of carbohydrates, the low pH produced demineralization, softening or disintegration of crystalline molecules on the surface of the enamel. When the acid in this layer is neutralized by the buffer systems, it is possible remineralization, reshape the dysfunctional molecules in the previous phase.
The acids attack the enamel white spot produced first and then the cavitation
It occurs massive microbial invasion acids and enzymes to destroy the entire tooth.

The first evidence of tooth decay called “white spot”. You lose the luster of the enamel, seeing the white surface. At this point you can reverse this disease process before the injury actually cavite cavities and the process is irreversible, at which point you can not recover the lost tooth structure by acid attack and the only treatment is filling.

It is therefore important to detect the first caries lesion and that the progress of the carious lesion is usually rapid once it is cavitated.

The resolution of the initial lesion of caries will be held either by the removal of risk factors or by the administration of fluoride. The clinical appearance will not be like before they decay, because what is remineralized layer is outside the enamel surface, since the interior of the injury will demineralized, and pigments and organic debris there. Talk because of an acute and chronic injury.