Dentistas

DENTAL CARIES.

Dental caries, also known as tooth decay or a cavity, is an infection, bacterial in origin, that causes demineralization and destruction of the hard tissues, usually by productionof acid by bacterial fermentation of the food debris accumulated on the tooth surface. If demineralization exceeds saliva and other remineralization factors such as from calcium and fluoridatedtoothpastes, these hard tissues progressively break down, producing dental caries. Today, caries remain one of the most common diseases throughout the world.

The presentation of caries is highlyvariable. However the risk factors and stages of development are similar. Initially it may appear as a small chalky area, which may eventually develop into a large cavitation. Sometimes caries may be directlyvisible. However other methods of detection such as X-rays are used for less visible areas of teeth and to judge the extent of destruction

Tooth decay disease is caused by specific types ofbacteria that produce acid in the presence of fermentable carbohydrates such as sucrose, fructose, and glucose. The mineral content of teeth is sensitive to increases in acidity from the production oflactic acid. To be specific, a tooth is in a constant state of back-and-forth demineralization and remineralization between the tooth and surrounding saliva. For people with little saliva, especially dueto radiation therapies that may destroy the salivary glands, there also exists remineralization gel. These patients are particularly susceptible to dental caries Most foods are in this acidic range andwithout remineralization, this results in the ensuing decay. Depending on the extent of tooth destruction, various treatments can be used to restore teeth to proper form, function, and aesthetics,but there is no known method to regenerate large amounts of tooth structure. Instead, dental health organizations advocate preventive and prophylactic measures, such as regular oral hygiene and...