How long can a person live with a mouth full of cavities?

With the continuous progress of society, people's material life has greatly improved, but oral problems are also very prominent. Some old people are saying: There are too many dental problems among young people now, and that’s because they haven’t made the right efforts. As long as you eat well, your teeth will last until you grow old. Is this true?

Dental doctors say: There are many causes of dental caries, and diet is one of the important factors leading to dental caries. Let’s learn about caries together.

Caries

What is dental caries

Caries are also called "worm teeth". Of course, they are not actually bitten by insects. Dental caries are caused by changes in the color, shape, texture, etc. of teeth due to a variety of factors. It is essentially caused by bacterial infection, but the target is the hardest organ of the human body - the teeth.

Tooth decay is generally not taken seriously in the early stages. It is only when obvious damage occurs, black holes can be seen, and even severe pain is caused that timely treatment is sought. The best opportunities for prevention and treatment are often missed.

Caries

How does dental caries occur?

Teeth are located in the oral cavity and perform important chewing functions every day. At the same time, they have to face various internal and external environments. irritation, thus leading to the formation of caries. The occurrence of dental caries is relatively complex. After research by dental predecessors, it is now unanimously agreed that the four factors of dental caries are. That is: diet, host, environment, time.

It can be seen from the above that diet, as one of the important factors that cause dental caries, can be reasonably controlled and has a good inhibitory effect on the occurrence of dental caries. Therefore, it makes sense that as long as you eat well, your teeth will last until you grow old.

Conditions for the occurrence of caries

So, knowledge about caries caused by sugary foods

First of all, let’s talk about whether sugar can cause caries? The answer is yes, sugar staying on the tooth surface for a long time will increase the risk of caries. Studies have shown that among various sugars that cause dental caries, sucrose has the strongest cariogenic ability (if starch and sucrose are mixed at a ratio of 1:1 and eaten, the risk of dental caries will exceed that of sucrose).

Sugar is food for bacteria, constantly providing energy like a logistical supply. Therefore, as long as the surface of the teeth is attached to sugar substances for a long time, bacteria can continue to use their metabolism. On the one hand, they can continue to reproduce and grow and grow the bacterial team; on the other hand, the substances produced during the metabolism process can change the oral environment, such as: acid It can demineralize the tooth surface and gradually disintegrate, eventually forming obvious cavities.

Sugar causes dental caries

Do you not suffer from dental caries if you don’t eat sugar?

Eating sugar will definitely lead to dental caries. This concept is in the minds of many parents. ingrained. Therefore, there are also parents who forbid children from eating sweets and deprive their children of the right to enjoy delicious food, thinking that it is for the good of their children. Is this really the case?

The oral doctor answered clearly: The four factors of caries are already very clear. Eating sugar does not necessarily lead to caries, because sugar is only one of the steps in the occurrence of caries. If we eat sugar and clean it in time so that it stays on the tooth surface for a shorter time, the probability of getting caries will also be reduced.

Caries

Ranking of cariogenic abilities of sugars

We already know clearly that sugary foods can cause caries under the combined action of other factors, so , are there any differences between various types of sugar? After research, the order of the cariogenic abilities of various sugars is: sucrose gt; glucose gt; maltose gt; lactose gt; fructose gt; sorbitol gt; xylitol. At the same time, some experts have concluded that consuming the same amount of sugar in a single day, in divided doses, greatly increases the risk of dental caries compared with consuming it all at once!

The relationship between sugar and dental caries

What are some tips for preventing dental caries

Caries seriously endanger dental health and are also an important factor leading to early tooth loss. . Therefore, it is very important for us to do a good job in preventing dental caries so that the long-term health of the teeth can be retained in the mouth.

There are many prevention tips:

Develop good oral hygiene habits, brush and rinse your teeth correctly

Apply fluoride and fissures to add protection to your teeth

Perform full-mouth scaling (teeth scaling) at least once a year

Perform a full-mouth health check-up at least once a year

Enable early examination, early detection, and early treatment

Reduce the risk of dental caries

Summary: Teeth are the hardest organs of the human body and play important functions in the mouth such as pronunciation, chewing, and maintaining facial appearance. Therefore, it is particularly important to understand dental caries scientifically and carry out prevention and early treatment. In daily life, you need to brush your teeth, rinse your mouth, and promptly remove food residue and plaque on the tooth surface. This can reduce the risk of dental caries, make your teeth healthy and function normally, and make your teeth delicious!