Dental Caries

Dental Caries is a tooth decay due to the action of pathogenic bacteria.

Causes:
   •Improper brushing of teeth
   • Delayed brushing of teeth
   • No brushing of teeth after eating

   Note: The above causes result in prolonged contact of food (especially sweets/sugars) with tooth surface giving enough time for caries-promoting bacteria to feed on them. This in turn, produces acid which softens the outer tooth surface making it weak and later broken.  Through a broken surface, bacteria enter and attack the soft and more organic inner layers of the tooth.

Symptoms
   • Hypersensitivity of teeth to cold, heat and sugars
   • Toothache
   • Tooth cavity
   • Foul breath

Helpful Dietary Management
   • Serve balanced diet in 3 regular meals.
   • Avoid between-meal snacks particularly sugar-sweetened foods.
   • Choose firm natural foods over soft sticky ones which stay longer in the mouth.
   • Brush properly and immediately after meals.
   • Floss at least once a day before going to bed.


Definition of Terms:
Bacteria: microscopic single-cell organism
Tooth Decay:  is a disease process where acidic waste products created by oral bacteria cause damage to the hard (Mineralized) tissues of a tooth (enamel, dentin and cementum). If left unchecked, a point can be reached where enough mineral content is finally lost that a defect (a hole or a "cavity") forms on the tooth's surface.
Pathogenic bacteria: are bacteria which are capable of causing disease 
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