Tooth decay is caused by bacteria in the mouth that produce acids that attack the enamel, or protective outer layer, of one’s tooth. If left untreated, tooth decay could indeed lead to gum disease, cavities, and possibly tooth loss.
Cavities are areas on the hard surface of one’s teeth that are damaged. These areas of tooth decay do become tiny openings or holes that can lead to serious toothache, infection, and tooth loss.
Cavities and tooth decay are among the most common health problems, especially among children, teenagers, and older adults.
If cavities are not treated, they get larger and also affect the deeper layers of one’s teeth. Regular dental visits, good brushing, and flossing habits are the best ways to protect one’s teeth from cavities.
Symptoms
- Toothache and other pain.
- Tooth sensitivity.
- Mild to sharp pain when eating or even drinking something sweet, hot, or cold.
- Holes or pits in one’s teeth that can be seen.
- Brown, black, or white staining on any sort of surface of a tooth.
- Pain when a person bites down.
Tooth decay causes and risk factors
- Location of teeth: Teeth located in the rear of one’s mouth may be more susceptible to tooth decay as they are hard to reach when brushing and flossing.
- Diet: A diet rich in sugar and starch can cause more tooth decay as the bacteria in tooth plaque use these to make the acids that can eat away at tooth enamel.
- Frequency of eating and drinking: If a person eats or drinks often throughout the day, the tooth enamel on one’s teeth does not have time to recover from acid attacks that lead to lost minerals.
- Feeding infants at night: If the woman puts her baby down at night with a bottle, there is a higher risk of the formula or breast milk lingering in the mouth and on the teeth. The longer it tends to linger on the teeth, the more opportunity there is for acids to form and attack the tooth enamel.
- Dry mouth: Saliva does play an important role in removing the bacteria in one’s mouth that leads to acids attacking tooth enamel. If a person does not have enough saliva in order to prevent dry mouth, then the person is at a higher risk for tooth decay as there are more bacteria in the mouth.
- Poor oral hygiene: Brushing and flossing teeth twice a day does go a long way in removing bacteria, plaque, and acids that could lead to tooth decay. Brushing and flossing properly are essential. Flossing removes all food particles between teeth and along the gum line.
- Age: With age, more wear and tear on teeth is present, which could lead to tooth decay. Also, if the teeth have receding gums, they are more exposed to bacteria and acids that cause tooth decay.
- Insufficient fluoride: Fluoride, a mineral that does build up resistance to acid, is required to help protect the tooth enamel from acid attacks that lead to tooth decay. If one does not get sufficient fluoride through such efforts as brushing twice a day with fluoride toothpaste, one’s teeth are more susceptible to tooth decay.
- Eating disorders: Proper nutrition helps build strong, healthy teeth and gums. If the person is not receiving the nutrients required for good oral health due to an eating disorder, then they can develop tooth decay. Also, frequent vomiting exposes teeth to stomach acids that can indeed damage tooth enamel, thus leading to tooth decay.
- Heartburn and GERD: Acids produced by heartburn, or GERD, a digestive disorder wherein stomach acids tend to move back up into the mouth, can also move into the mouth and over the teeth. This can harm the enamel, causing tooth decay.
- Old, worn, or broken dental work: Over time, fillings could break down, with acids as well as bacteria leaking into cracks around those fillings.
Conclusion
Tooth decay does require bad mouth smell treatment and can cause much discomfort.