Dental decay is due to the irreversible solubilization of tooth mineral by acid produced by certain bacteria that adhere to the tooth surface in bacterial communities known as dental plaque. Streptococcus mutans is the main cause of dental decay. Various lactobacilli are associated with progression of the lesion.
How caries-causing bacteria can survive in dental plaque?
How Caries-Causing Bacteria Can Survive In Dental Plaque. Extracellular polysaccharides play a central role in the survival capabilities of caries-causing bacteria in dental plaque, report researchers from the University of Basel's Preventative Dentistry and Oral Microbiology Clinic and Department of Biomedical Engineering in the journal PLOS ONE.
What causes tooth plaque build up?
- Tooth location: Tooth decay most frequently occurs in the back teeth. ...
- Not brushing: If you do not clean your teeth after eating, plaque can build up, eventually eroding the teeth.
- Certain foods and drinks: Some foods and drinks are more likely to cause tooth decay. ...
- Dry mouth: Dry mouth is caused by a lack of saliva. ...
Which bacteria is responsible for dental caries?
Periodontal Disease
- Etiology and Pathogenesis. The most important new finding concerning periodontal disease is the realization that these clinical entities are really specific infections.
- Clinical Manifestations. ...
- Microbiological Diagnosis. ...
- Prevention and Treatment. ...
How does bacterial plaque cause gum disease and tooth decay?
This leads to tooth decay. The bacteria in plaque also triggers an inflammatory response. This causes the breakdown of the gums, bone, and other supporting structures of your teeth. Some foods invite tooth decay. Other foods help fight plaque buildup.
What bacteria make up dental plaque?
Bacteria. The bulk of the microorganisms that form the biofilm are Streptococcus mutans and other anaerobes, though the precise composition varies by location in the mouth. Examples of such anaerobes include fusobacterium and actinobacteria.
What causes dental plaque?
Plaque forms when bacteria in your mouth mix with sugary or starchy foods, such as milk, juice, soft drinks, bread, pasta and fruit. These bacteria release acids that break down carbohydrates in food and drinks.
What causes excessive tartar build up?
Smoking or consuming an excessive amount of sugary foods can lead to excessive plaque buildup which will ultimately become tartar. Try to stay away from soft drinks and foods such as cakes, candy, and other sweets that are high in sugar.
What kills dental plaque?
Floss, floss, floss. No matter how good you are with a toothbrush, dental floss is the only way to remove plaque between your teeth and keep tartar out of these hard-to-reach areas. Rinse daily. Use an antiseptic mouthwash daily to help kill bacteria that cause plaque.
What causes plaque on teeth?
Plaque develops when foods containing carbohydrates (sugars and starches) such as milk, soft drinks or candy are frequently left on the teeth. Bacteria that live in the mouth thrive on these foods, producing acids as a result. Over time, these acids destroy tooth enamel, resulting in tooth decay.
What causes tooth decay?
Foods that cling to your teeth, such as milk, honey, table sugar, soda, ice cream, raisins and other dried fruit, cookies, hard candy, dry cereal and chips are more likely to cause decay than are foods that are easily washed away by saliva. Dry mouth: Dry mouth is caused by a lack of saliva.
Why do my teeth wear down?
Frequent snacking or sipping: The amount of sugary snacks you eat is less important than when you eat them. If you frequently snack or sip sodas, acid has more time to attack your teeth and wear them down.
Where does tooth decay occur?
Tooth location: Tooth decay most frequently occurs in the back teeth. These teeth have lots of grooves and crannies. Although these grooves are great ...
Why do some people have gum disease?
The reason gum disease develops in some people and not others remains unclear. It is known that dental plaque contains many different types of bacteria, some of which are associated with developing gum disease. Most people develop some dental plaque, however, only some people develop gum disease. It is thought that infection is more likely ...
How does saliva help teeth?
Saliva has an important role in preventing tooth decay. It washes away food and plaque from your teeth. Minerals found in saliva help repair early tooth decay. Saliva also limits bacterial growth and neutralizes damaging acids in your mouth. Receding gums: When the gums pull away from the teeth, plaque can form on the roots of teeth.
How to get rid of plaque on teeth?
You can remove plaque by brushing and flossing your teeth regularly with a soft-bristled toothbrush. Some dentists recommend electric toothbrushes because they are believed to be more effective at removing plaque. showed that using a toothpaste containing baking soda is a good way to get rid of plaque.
How to keep bacteria from forming in your teeth?
To keep the bacteria in plaque from harming your teeth and gums, the most important thing you can do is clean your teeth every day. Brush your teeth twice a day, and brush after eating sugary foods. The American Dental Association recommends that you brush your teeth twice a day for two minutes.
How to get bacteria out of teeth?
To get at the bacteria between your teeth, consider a mouth rinse product when you rinse and floss. In a 2016 review. of the medical literature, researchers concluded that when mouth rinses are used along with brushing and flossing, there’s a significant reduction in plaque and gingivitis.
What is the difference between plaque and tartar?
When plaque isn’t regularly removed, it can accumulate minerals from your saliva and harden into an off-white or yellow substance called tartar. Tartar builds up along your gumline on the fronts and backs of your teeth. Although an attentive flossing may dislodge some tartar buildup, ...
How to keep plaque in mouth healthy?
The good news is that with thorough brushing, flossing, rinsing with a mouthwash, and biannual trips to the dentist, you should be able to keep the growth of plaque to a minimum and maintain the health of your mouth. Last medically reviewed on August 2, 2019.
What is plaque made of?
Plaque is a sticky film that forms on your teeth as you sleep and as you move through your day. It’s made up of several strains of bacteria plus a sticky coating.
Why is plaque called a biofilm?
Scientists call plaque a “biofilm” because it’s actually a community of living microbes surrounded by a gluey polymer layer. The sticky coating helps the microbes attach to surfaces in your mouth so they can grow into thriving microcolonies.
How does plaque cause tooth decay?
If plaque has the chance to collect on your teeth, it starts to use the foods and drinks you consume to produce acids. These acids can adhere to your teeth because of the plaque's stickiness. When the acid sticks to your teeth, it breaks down the enamel, thus setting the process of tooth decay into motion. After you eat food is when most acid production occurs, according to MedlinePlus. So every time you eat a meal or snack, your teeth are prone to plaque buildup within a few minutes.
What happens if you don't remove plaque from your teeth?
When you don't remove all the plaque from your teeth, it turns into a harder substance known as tartar. While bacterial plaque is the cause of gum disease, tartar buildup gives the plaque a place to thrive. It's a layering effect - the more plaque that adheres to your teeth, the more tartar that will form. Thus leading to more plaque sticking ...
Why do bacteria thrive in a moist, dark environment?
This is why your mouth makes the ideal home! And when bacteria overstay their welcome and create a sticky buildup of plaque on your teeth, dental problems can develop. Let's go over how this happens and how you can prevent it!
What happens if you let plaque settle on your gums?
If you let plaque and tartar settle at the gumline and underneath your gums, bacterial toxins will attack the bone and ligaments surrounding your teeth. This causes a more advanced phase of gum disease, like periodontitis.
Why do my gums bleed?
It's a layering effect - the more plaque that adheres to your teeth, the more tartar that will form. Thus leading to more plaque sticking to this tartar, and so on! In the first stage of gum disease, also known as gingivitis, your gums become red, swollen, and bleed easily. The plaque that adheres along the tooth and gumline causes inflammation ...
How to keep enamel strong?
But there's a simple way to keep your tooth enamel healthy and strong! You can use fluoride toothpaste to strengthen and protect your enamel. And ask your dental professional about other fluoride sources for your family, such as mouthwashes, supplements, or fluoridated water.
Why do acids stick to teeth?
These acids can adhere to your teeth because of the plaque's stickiness. When the acid sticks to your teeth, it breaks down the enamel, thus setting the process of tooth decay into motion. After you eat food is when most acid ...
What is plaque in dentistry?
Plaque – what is it? Plaque is the sticky deposit that continually forms on the surface of the teeth. If this “biofilm” is not removed regularly, there is a risk of caries and gum problems.
What is it called when you have bacteria on your teeth?
Many of them mean no harm – they are even beneficial to humans. However, if certain bacteria settle on the teeth, this is called bacterial plaque. If this is not removed regularly and thoroughly, caries, gingivitis or even periodontitis can result. Dental plaque, also called dental biofilm ...
What happens if a biofilm persists?
2. If this biofilm persists, the bacteria that have settled will multiply. In addition, new bacterial species accumulate and a complex, multi-layered bacterial community develops. 3. In the lower part of the dental plaque there is a lack of oxygen.
Why is it important to remove plaque from your teeth?
This is because the bacteria it contains not only produce acids that attack tooth enamel, but also toxins that can trigger gum problems.
Why is biofilm dangerous?
This is where bacteria that do not need oxygen to survive (anaerobic bacterial species) thrive. These make the biofilm a threat to dental health, as their metabolism produces acids, for example, which attack the tooth enamel. This is why we also speak of a pathogenic, i.e. disease-causing, biofilm. 4.
Why is sugar important for dental health?
Reduce sugar Diet plays an important role in dental health. This is because if the harmful plaque bacteria have a lot of food available in the form of sugar, they produce acids and toxins. These can cause tooth decay or gum disease. It is therefore important to deprive the bacteria of the basis of their life and to reduce sugar-rich foods and beverages.
What happens if you don't remove plaque?
If this is not removed regularly and thoroughly, caries, gingivitis or even periodontitis can result. Dental plaque, also called dental biofilm or bacterial plaque, describes an accumulation of bacteria on the tooth surface. This bacterial community is embedded in a mucus layer composed of components of saliva, food debris and bacterial substances.
How many bacteria are in the mouth?
Many : There are about 25, 000 species of bacteria that reside in the mouth. About 1, 000 out of the 25, 000 species are involved with the formation of dental biofilm.
What is biofilm in dentistry?
Biofilm: This is a term to describe the bacterial ecosystem that consists of about a thousand different species that can form dental plaque. Additionally, the specific names of component bacteria update fairly frequently so even consistent terminology isn't always used.
Can a dentist make a mouth guard?
Mouth guards: Almost every dentist can make you a custom mouth guard. You should n't buy a mouth guard that is not made for you specifically or it can cause problems. Just like one size fits all shoes aren't a good idea.
What is the specificity of bacteria adhesion?
Bacterial adhesion has demonstrated specificity in the mechanisms involved and studies have shown that there is a diversity of receptors on tooth surfaces, epithelial or other host cells and other bacteria.
Is bacteria aetiological?
In the last 30-40 years, a vast amount of evidence has been published to suggest that bacteria are the primary aetiological agents of periodontal diseases. In the 1950s and early 1960s, periodontal treatment was based on the non-specific plaque hypothesis.
Is plaque non-specific?
However, the non-specific plaque hypothesis gave way after studies suggested that not all organisms in plaque are equally capable of causing destructive periodontal disease. Thus the concept of specificity re-emerged.
General Concepts
The mouth is colonized by 200 to 300 bacterial species, but only a limited number of these species participate in dental decay (caries) or periodontal disease.
Introduction
The tooth surfaces are unique in that they are the only body part not subject to metabolic turnover. Once formed, the teeth are, under the correct conditions, essentially indestructible, as witnessed by their importance in fossil records and forensic medicine.
Dental Caries (Decay)
Dental decay is due to the dissolution of tooth mineral (primarily hydroxyapatite, Ca 10 (P0 4) 6 (0H) 2) by acids derived from bacterial fermentation of sucrose and other dietary carbohydrates. These bacteria live in bacterial communities known as dental plaque which accumulates on the tooth surface.
Periodontal Disease
Periodontal disease is the general description applied to the inflammatory response of the gingiva and surrounding connective tissue to the bacterial or plaque accumulations on the teeth. These inflammatory responses are divided into two general groupings: gingivitis or periodontitis .
