How does tooth decay form?

Although the main factors which cause tooth decay are acids produced by bacteria, especially Streptococcus mutans, the micro-organisms alone would not be able to destroy the layers of the tooth. For the decay to occur, we need the cooperation of four factors. None of them alone contributes to the development of caries, but together they form a good team, whose activity leads to the formation of cavities.

1. Plaque - made mainly by S. mutans bacteria and organic debris that stuck to the surface of the tooth during a meal. Bacteria which cause caries can attach to even smooth surfaces. They produce sticky, insoluble polysaccharide - dextran out of sucrose found in food. Polysaccharide facilitates subsequent attachment of the bacterial cells to the tooth surface. Plaque builds up, becoming an excellent habitat for microorganisms.

2. Susceptible tooth tissues - for the caries bacteria to do any action, you need a tooth, which would be susceptible to acid produced by microorganisms. Susceptibility to damage is determined by hereditary, developmental and dependent on lifestyle and diet factors. The more carbohydrates in the diet (also in case of mothers during pregnancy), the greater the risk of dental caries.

3. The foundation on which caries bacteria will develop. The best for them is the refined sugar - sucrose. Streptococcus decomposes it into glucose (which later produces insoluble dextran, which assists in the creation of plaque) and fructose - this is the basis for the creation of lactic acid damaging the enamel. A good foundation to initiate the fermentation of carbohydrates is a starch, only that its conversion to sugars takes longer than in the case of sucrose.

4. Time - the more often we help ourselves to appetizers, the likelihood of damage of the enamel by caries is higher. Not only the large amounts of carbohydrates in the diet support the occurrence of tooth decay, but mostly the frequency of their consumption and the amount of time during which they are in contact with the surface of the teeth.

In order to avoid the development of tooth decay, remember about proper oral hygiene, regular visit to the dentist in Poland and regular hygiene cleaning abroad performed in a dental office.