Dentist Huntersville What Causes Problems in Your Mouth?

To fully understand what causes many of the problems in your mouth, you must have a grasp of what contributes to tooth decay. Some of the main elements in your mouth includes saliva, plaque, calculus, and bacteria.

Saliva is a natural substance to clean your mouth, and it will cover your teeth and gums. Many people never truly give thought to their saliva, but it is a fluid that is necessary for premium oral health. Saliva will work to protect the teeth and keep portions of the mouth moist so that it washes away all particles of food. Saliva also contains additional mineral ingredients that will strengthen the teeth, and it will reduce the amounts of the acid in the mouth that can cause tooth decay. This helps saliva protect the mouth from bacteria and disease.

Plaque is a soft and sticky substance found on the surface of the teeth. It will feed on the debris found on the teeth to work as a breeding ground for viruses, yeast, and bacteria. Many other particles mix with this bacteria, such as food particles, body tissue, and white blood cells. Plaque begins to grow when bacteria attaches to the surface of the tooth and starts to multiply. In fact, plaque can start to form after you have brushed your teeth, and it only takes an hour for it to accumulate in your mouth. Within this time period, many different types of bacteria will appear on the surface of the teeth, and the plaque will start to thicken. If this plaque is not treated, it will absorb the minerals found in the saliva. This will cause a very hard substance to form called calculus. Plaque will again develop on top of this calculus, and the next layer will also become hard on the surface of the teeth.

Within all the different types of bacteria in the mouth, some are good, and some will destroy the teeth. If you want the best results in preventing long-term tooth decay, you must practice oral care to eliminate the bacteria that will cause damage to your teeth. Much of this can be prevented by limiting the amount of sugary foods and carbohydrates that you eat since the bacteria will mix with these food particles and multiply to cause problems in the mouth. Bacteria will affect the outer layers of the teeth by breaking down the enamel due to the acid content. Carbohydrates encompass more than only candy and ice cream, and they can be found in simple sugars in many different foods.

It is best to steer clear from fermentable carbohydrates, which break down the surface of the teeth to cause long-term problems. These carbohydrates can cause damage, and they include candy, cakes, cookies, potato chips, pretzels, crackers, and even bananas. This is the main reason that you must care for your teeth regularly to prevent any bacteria from causing tooth decay.