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How did the tooth get "bad" with decay?
Caries, commonly known as tooth decay or insect teeth, is the most common disease besides colds and a major cause of tooth loss.
Caries often occurs silently, and by the time pain is felt, the tooth has been decayed. In the past, old people often said that tooth decay is "tooth decay is a hole in the tooth decay", is this really the case? "Life Times" (search for "LT0385" in WeChat to follow) takes you to see the whole process of tooth decay.
Audit Specialist
Xu Baohua, Director and Chief Physician of the Stomatology Center of China-Japan Friendship Hospital
The author and editor of this article 丨 Xu Wenting
Drawing丨Ma Hongliang
Bacteria lurk between teeth
There are two rows of teeth in the mouth, which are responsible for cutting and chewing food. Usually the "city" is patrolled twice a day, which leaves the bacteria hiding in the corners and stealing their lives.
Cariogenic bacteria stick firmly to the teeth
Finally, one day, caries-causing bacteria waited for the opportunity. Due to the negligence of the city defense, the toothbrush did not patrol in time, and the cariogenic bacteria used food scraps and saliva mucin to firmly stick to the teeth.
Launch an acidic attack on the teeth
Plaque "criminal gangs" break down carbohydrates from food scraps and fill their stomachs while creating "siege weapons" - acids.
Bacterial gangs singled out calcium
Dental plaque such as Streptococcus mutans and actinomycetes specifically pick the calcium in the teeth, and when they see the calcium, they hold it and take it away. This process is medically known as "tooth demineralization".
There is less and less calcium in the teeth
In an acidic environment, plaque can still maintain good reproductive and metabolic capacity. If they don't intervene in time, their ranks will grow larger and stronger, causing a large loss of calcium from their teeth.
Teeth "cracked" by bacteria
The tooth walls that lack calcium support are vulnerable, and caries-causing bacteria can easily break them down.
Bacteria reach the inside of the tooth
The tooth is becoming more and more damaged, and caries-causing bacteria enter the interior and attack the pulp nerve.
Teeth become fragile and sensitive
The tooth "wall" occupied by caries-causing bacteria is ruined, and the slightest hot and sour stimulation can not stand it.
It can be seen that tooth decay is not a "decay" in the mouth, but the result of the gradual erosion of teeth.
The occurrence of caries is a long-term process, from the initial caries to the clinical formation of caries generally takes 1.5~2 years. If not treated in time during this period, it will cause acute infection, toothache and other discomfort, which will not only affect eating, speaking, sleep, psychology, but even cause eye diseases, arthritis and other systemic diseases.
-Finish-
To prevent and treat dental caries, the most important thing is to do a good job of oral cleanliness and early diagnosis and treatment.
Early treatment is the last word
There is no obvious feeling of decay at the beginning, and the tooth has no healing function, and once the decay occurs, it will only get deeper and deeper. When caries develops to dentin, there will be a transient reaction to hot and cold sweetness, so come to the hospital for treatment as soon as possible.
Stick to scientific brushing
Tilt the bristles 45 degrees towards the base of the tooth, gently tremble horizontally for about 10 times, then brush upwards, and then move to the next tooth, making sure that the inside and outside of each tooth are brushed.
When brushing the upper and lower occlusal surfaces of the teeth, let the toothbrush and occlusal surfaces make a circular motion perpendicular to brush. On the inside of the upper and lower front teeth, brush the toothbrush vertically to the inside of the front teeth, the lower teeth up, and the upper teeth downward.
Society "Provocative Food"
To prevent tooth decay, eat less sweets, eat vegetables rich in dietary fiber such as celery, and dairy products containing calcium and phosphorus to help fight tooth decay.
Baby teeth should also be repaired in time if they are broken
Baby teeth are an important tool for children to chew food, and if caries is allowed to develop, it will affect the chewing function to a certain extent. If decay in the front teeth is not treated, it can also affect pronunciation and aesthetics. Deterioration of baby teeth must be treated in time. ▲
Editor of this issue: Zhao Ziying