What Causes Dental Caries?
Typically, dental caries can be spotted on two specific areas of the teeth: occlusal caries, which form on the top most part of the tooth where food particles repeatedly come in direct contact with the teeth and interproximal caries, which are dental caries that form in between the teeth. It’s in these two locations where bacteria fester and pose a risk to your oral hygiene. If the teeth and surrounding areas are not cared for properly, the bacteria will begin to digest the sugars left over from food in your mouth and convert it into acids as a waste product. These acids are strong enough to demineralise the enamel on your teeth and form tiny holes—the first stage of dental caries. As the enamel begins to break down, the tooth loses the ability to reinforce the calcium and phosphate structures of the teeth naturally through saliva properties and, in time, acid penetrates into the tooth and destroys it from the inside out.
Dental Caries Treatments
Professionally, there are four main ways to deal with dental caries. These treatments carried out by a dental professional can help treat damage incurred from dental caries.
- Fillings:
- Fillings are the most common form of treatment for the disease. A dentist drills into the affected area/s of the teeth, removes the decayed material inside the prepared cavity, and packs this empty space with an appropriate dental filling material. There are different types of filling materials that can be used, depending on the area where caries have occurred. Composite resin, the most common filling material in the developed world, has a great pallet of color which dentists can use to repair caries damage to teeth that are visible when you smile. In the case of back teeth, some dentists prefer using other dental filling materials which are stronger.
- Crowns: Crowns are another option for dentists when treating dental caries, and are only used when a large proportion of the tooth is destroyed by disease. When tooth decay leads to the need for large fillings, the tooth becomes more prone to cracks and ultimately breaking. The dentist would attempt to salvage the remaining tooth, repair it, and finally fit the tooth with an alloy or porcelain crown covering.
- Root Canal: Another method of treatment a dentist may employ is called a root canal. As tooth decay progresses through the enamel and settles in the center of the tooth, it may even advance further and damage the nerves, which are in the root. A dentist would remove the damaged or dead nerve with the surrounding blood vessel tissue (pulp) and fill the area. The procedure usually ends with the dentist placing a crown over the affected area.
- Extraction: In some cases, the tooth may be damaged beyond repair and must be extracted if there is risk of infection spreading to the jaw bone. The removal of some teeth may affect the alignment of those left in the mouth, so it is recommended that a partial denture, bridge, or implant be inserted in those edentulous areas.
How to Prevent Dental Caries
A few recommendations a dentist might make include:
- Brushing your teeth twice a day for at least two minutes using fluoride rinse, paste, or gel.
- Flossing regularly after brushing especially if you’re frequently eating or drinking sugary foods or drinks. Certain foods high in sugar can provide a consistent supply of damaging acid to the tooth hard tissues. Flossing once or twice a day can help you remove food particles from between the hard-to-reach areas of your teeth you might be missing.
Are there natural ways to prevent cavities?
Cavities are small holes in the teeth caused by decay. Several home remedies can prevent this decay or stop it before it forms a cavity.
A buildup of food and bacteria form a film on the teeth. The term for this is plaque. If plaque is not removed, it will cause tooth decay.
Streptococcus mutans is a type of bacteria known to play a role in this decay.
Plaque builds up more easily in places such as:
🔴cracks, pits, and grooves in the teeth
between the teeth
🔴around any fillings, particularly when they are chipped or broken
🔴close to the gum line
Over time, decay reaches the tooth's inner
layer, called the dentin. At this point, a cavity starts to develop.
It is possible to prevent a cavity using home remedies when decay is at the pre-cavity stage. This is when decay has made holes in a tooth's enamel but has not yet reached the dentin.
Once the dentin decays and a cavity starts to form, professional treatment is necessary.
Can you get rid of cavities at home?
Cavities must be treated by a dentist.
However, several home remedies can strengthen tooth enamel at the pre-cavity stage. This process is known as remineralizing, and it prevents a cavity from forming.
Brushing the teeth twice daily with fluoride toothpaste is a tried-and-tested way to remineralize tooth enamel and prevent cavities.
Results from a 2014 study indicate that high-fluoride toothpaste significantly hardens enamel; giving teeth the protection they need to fight off decay.
However, some people prefer to use natural home remedies, rather than products containing fluoride. Some of these remedies include:
1. Oil pulling
Oil pulling originated in an ancient system of alternative medicine called Ayurveda. It involves swishing a tablespoon of sesame or Coconut oilaround in the mouth for a prescribed period, then spitting it out.
While some claims about oil pulling are not scientifically supported, research indicates that it can improve tooth health. A 2009 Study found that using sesame oil in the pulling technique reduced the amount of plaque and bacteria to the same extent as mouthwash.
If oil pulling reduces plaque, this may help to remineralize enamel and prevent cavities. More studies are needed to confirm these effects.
2. Aloe vera
Aloe vera tooth gel may help to fight off bacteria that cause cavities. The antibacterial effect of this gel kills harmful bacteria in the mouth, according to a 2015 review .While more research is needed, aloe vera gel may help to remineralize enamel at the pre-cavity stage.
3. Avoid phytic acid
Phytic acid may damage tooth enamel, and some believe that cutting it out of the diet can prevent tooth decay and cavities.
A study from the 1930s linked cavities to a diet high in phytic acid. However, there is a lack of recent evidence to support this.
A 2004 study found that phytic acid affected the mineral absorption from food. Some online articles use this study to draw further conclusions. They suggest that phytic acid may also break down minerals in enamel and lead to tooth decay. It is worth noting that the study involved fewer than 20 participants, however.
Phytic acid is most Commonly found in cereals and legumes, including the following:
🔵maize
🔵wheat
🔵rice
🔵rye
🔵kidney beans
🔵haricot beans
🔵pinto beans
🔵navy beans
🔵blackeye beans
🔵broad beans
More research is needed to determine whether phytic acid affects the minerals in tooth enamel.
4. Vitamin D
A 2013 review concluded that Vitamin D supplements helped to reduce the incidence of dental cavities significantly.
The vitamin may have a mineralizing effect, which helps to strengthen tooth enamel.
5. Avoid sugary foods and drinks
Consumption of sugar is among the leading causes of cavities. Sugar mixes with bacteria in the mouth and forms an acid, which wears down tooth enamel.
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommend that people prevent cavities by consuming fewer sugary foods and drinks, this 2016 review notes.
6. Eat licorice root
The antibacterial properties of licorice root may target the bacteria that cause cavities, according to a 2011 trial.
A small study from the same year suggested that sucking on a lollipop containing licorice extract might help to prevent cavities.
However, more research is needed before dentists can recommend these lollipops for cavity prevention.
7. Sugar-free gum
Results of a 2015 study indicate that chewing sugar-free gum after meals reduced levels of bacteria that damage enamel.
Having less of this bacteria may lead to stronger enamel that is better equipped to withstand decay.
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