Dental caries and toothache

Dental caries are dental decay or cavities in teeth and it is an infective disease, which is caused by sugar in the diet. In other words without the presence of sugar there will be no cavities in teeth. Germs a group of bacteria called ‘acid forming’ bacteria which include Streptococcus mutans, Lactobacillus, which are present in the dental plaque, thrives and multiplies in the presence of sugar. The moment sugar containing foods and drinks are consumed, these bacteria begin to ferment the sugar, producing acid inside the plaque. The acid thus formed is strong enough to attack the tooth under the plaque deposit, and early decay begins. If this process is allowed to recur many times a day owing to the frequent intake of sweet foods and drinks,  a dental cavity will be formed with time. Therefore the chances of decay are greatly increased if foods and drinks containing sugar are consumed frequently. 

On the other hand if sugars are taken in low concentration or infrequently the tooth is given time to reverse the damage process. A toothpaste with fluoride is helpful in preventing and reversing this damage. Once cavities are formed they do not necessarily keep getting deeper. Depending on sugar intake and use of fluorides they can stop progressing and get healed. Consequently the progress of caries is slow, and in children it may take around 2 years for decay to penetrate the outer covering of the tooth, which is called enamel. In adults this may take 3 years. Once dental decay has passed through the enamel into the next layer of dentine and thence deep into the pulp of the tooth, there can be severe pain toothache. Further neglect of this condition may lead to the spread of infection resulting in the formation of a dental abscess (also called alveolar abscess), which if untreated may give rise to unpleasant consequences.  At this stage the tooth can still be saved by what is called a root filling. This is nowadays a commonplace, though somewhat elaborate, procedure.If caries has destroyed the tooth "beyond repair, and if a root filling is not available, the tooth will have to be extracted. Also the dental caries are well known risk factor to cause infective endocarditis in later life. Therefore it is very important to keep your teeth clean and take necessary treatments for existing dental caries without any delay.

Prevention of dental caries

The basic formula is the reduction of refined sugar in the diet and the appropriate use of fluoride. There must be a reduction in the quantity and frequency of the intake of foods and drinks, which contain added sugar. Caries is predominantly a disease of childhood. Therefore a great responsibility rests on parents to inculcate healthy dietary habits from the earliest age. Frequent sweet snacks and drinks during the day (in between meals) should be avoided; the teeth should be brushed within an hour of taking sugary foods. The time honored rule is that sweet foods should be restricted to main mealtimes only, preferably once or twice a week after a meal.