Caries: what is it, how to know if you have a treatment

Caries are an infection of the teeth caused by bacteria naturally present in the mouth and which accumulate to form hard plaques that are difficult to remove. In this plaque, the bacteria gradually perforate the dental enamel and cause pain and discomfort when they reach the deepest parts of the tooth, known as dentin and pulp.

It is important that the person goes to the dentist while identifying signs and symptoms that may indicate the presence of a caries such as pain in the thighs, stains on the surface of the teeth and sensitivity to temperature changes. In this way, it is possible for the dentist to identify the presence of caries and initiate the most appropriate treatment, which may be carried out through a restoration in the affected patient.

How to know if you have caries

The main symptom that generates caries is pain in the affected patient, but in some cases it can also exist:

• Pain that while eating or drinking something sweet, cold or hot;
• Presence of augujeros in one or more people;
• Coffee or white stains on the surface of the tooth;
• Sensitivity to touching a tooth;
• Swollen and painful encía.

In the initial phase, for general caries do not present symptoms and, therefore, when the first symptoms appear, it is very important to immediately go to the dentist to confirm the diagnosis and start the appropriate treatment, avoiding complications such as a more serious infection, which la caries llegue al nervio and haya that perform a conduit treatment or extract el diente.

In this way, during the consultation, the dentist will be able to verify the presence of small needles and, in case he gets one, he will place an instrument with a very fine point inside the agujero to evaluate the depth and whether the person is in pain or no.

In addition to this, you can also indicate the performance of a panoramic radiography of the mouth, or an x-ray of a specific region will be taken, to identify the presence of caries between one patient and another, since they cannot be seen at a glance.

main causes

The main cause of the emergence of caries continues to be the lack of oral hygiene, due to the excess of bacteria present in the mouth and the rest of the food are not removed, facilitating the development of bacteria in the oral cavity and the formation of it. dental plaque.

In addition to this, the exaggerated consumption of foods rich in sugars such as pastries, pies, sweets, refreshments or galletas, also facilitates the development of bacteria in the teeth.

The main bacteria causing caries is el Streptococcus mutans, which is present in the enamel of los dientes and develops when there are large amounts of sugar in the mouth. To capture the greatest amount of possible sugar, these bacteria unite in groups, giving rise to bacterial plaque. In addition, they produce acid that corrodes the enamel of the tooth and destroys the minerals present, which can cause the affected tooth to break.

Foods that prevent cavities

Eating a manzana after eating helps to clean teeth, yellow teeth, balance the pH of the mouth, reducing the risk of dental caries. However, there are also other foods that can help, these are:

• fibrous foods like la zanahoria, cucumber and apio;
• Protein rich foods like atún, huevos and carne can also be consumed in sandwiches.

The foods that should be avoided are sweets or rich in sugars, because their accumulation in the teeth or a bad oral hygiene favors the formation of caries.

How is the treatment performed?

The only way to treat caries is by going to the dental office, since there is no home treatment or medication that is capable of eliminating them.

Depending on the size, on the depth of caries and on how many sean, the dentist can eliminate them in a single session or you will need several, and it may also be necessary to resort to an endodontic treatment or even to the extraction of the tooth, whichever, will tend to to be replaced later by a prosthesis, as the treatment becomes more expensive.

See more details on how to eliminate caries.

How to prevent cavities

The best strategy to avoid the appearance of caries is to remove the teeth at least 2 times a day to eliminate food remains, thus preventing the formation of dental plaque. In case it is not possible to clean them, you can drink a little water after eating to try to clean them as much as possible.

However, other important precautions include:

• Decrease sugar consumption y of foods that adhere to the diets;
• Opt for a fluoride toothpaste whenever you cepille los dientes;
• eat 1 manzana after food to clean the teeth;
• Eat 1 slice of queso amarillo like cheddar, for example, to normalize the pH of the mouth, protecting the teeth from the bacteria that cause caries;
• Have a gum without sugar with youbecause chewing stimulates salivation and it protects the teeth because it does not allow the bacteria to produce the acid that wears them down.
• pass it dental hilum and mouthwash, especially before bed and, if you have bracketsalways after eating.

In addition, it is advisable to visit the dentist every 6 months, so that he/she performs a deeper cleaning in the teeth, completely removing the dental plaque. In some cases, the dentist can also apply a thin plate of fluoride, especially on the children to strengthen the teeth, which helps to remineralize the enamel and also strengthen the teeth.

See how to cepillarse them correctly.