Dental Caries

Dental caries dates back to over 1300 A.D., it's often associated with changes in diets. Archaeologists have found out that dental caries are quite an ancient disease. Tooth worm is a belief that was practiced by the Egyptians, Indians and Chinese. Dental carriers increased as a result of plant food intake and the paddy cultivation in Asia. During both the Bronze and Iron Age, dental caries remained relatively low. In Medieval times, there was an upsurge in dental caries as a result of sugar cane which was available to the Western World.

Dental caries are a common habituated disease which affects children around the world. The disease is more commonly found in Asia, Latin America and USA. The main cause of dental caries attribute to the loss of tooth in children. Dental caries have reduced to a greater extent in many developed countries due to better oral hygiene and fluoride treatment. However in USA, twenty percent of the population still experience dental caries.

Tooth which has been destroyed by dental caries cannot be treated overnight, if it's a less damaged tooth it can be restored by the usage of fluoride. In cases of a tooth where dental caries have heavily disintegrated the structure, it may require extensive treatment. The objective of a treatment would be to eliminate the dental carrier without causing further destruction. In the early stages of dental caries, the treatment may not cause much pain and not much expensive.

Dental caries can happen as a result of dental bacterias, these types of bacteria can hang around the teeth and gums in a sticky substance called plaque. Another factor that contributes to dental caries is carbohydrates. Bacteria which are found in a persons mouth converts glucose, fructose and sucrose to acids, this process are called fermentation. If these acids are left to be in contact with the tooth, acids will dissolve the mineral content in the tooth. If tooth is left long enough for it to be dematerialized, it will cause dental caries. Time is another factor that can turn favorable for dental caries. If tooth is not cleaned after meals, the time period allowed can be help bacteria to progress and demineralize the root surfaces. In some cases where the intake of carbohydrates is high but oral hygiene is poor, cavities can occur as soon tooth erupts specially children are more exposed to dental caries if they are allowed to continue with sugary drinks.

Dental caries can be formed as a result of tobacco usage. Certain brands of tobacco contain high amount of sugar, this helps dental caries to grow. Moreover reduction in saliva increases the dental caries to grow, saliva helps to balance the acidic content in the mouth. Medical conditions give way to dental caries as they reduce saliva which is produced by the salivary glands. Sixty percent of the US population is prone to dry mouth which is a symptom of a side effect as a result of prescribed medicines.