One of the most basic services that a Dentist Daytona Beach, FL provides to their patients is the treatment and prevention of tooth decay. Tooth decay is actually an infection called dental caries. In rare cases, it can be transmitted through the blood to other parts of the body, including the brain, and result in death. It most certainly can result in tooth cavities, which are painful themselves, plus it leads to the patient requiring drilling, fillings, and sometimes crowns.
Tooth decay is largely preventable if a patient avoids foods and beverages with acids and sugars and follows proper oral hygiene as recommended by the Dentist Daytona Beach FL. Tooth decay begins in children as young as two years old, and it affects over 90 percent of adults who are over the age of 40, so it’s a lifelong problem. Without proper brushing and flossing, a substance called plaque forms on the teeth enamel, which is the outer surface of the teeth. The plaque attracts oral bacteria, which feed on any sugar or carbohydrates the person eats, and they produce acids that de-mineralize the protective layer of tooth enamel. Once the acids reach the dentin inside the tooth, which is similar to bone, they eat away at that, too.
The saliva we produce helps to combat the de-mineralization of the tooth enamel. The saliva contains calcium and phosphate, which together help to re-balance the pH in the mouth so it isn’t so acidic, and helps return the acid level in the mouth to a neutral pH of 7. However, everyone’s body is different, so not everyone’s saliva will be optimally balanced to combat the destructive force of the oral bacteria. This is further complicated by everyone’s differing dietary habits.
Family Dentistry offers patients individualized assessments of their risk for cavities. The dentist can actually test each person’s saliva and oral bacteria to determine the level of risk to that particular person. This information allows them to create an individualized treatment plan, which may include fluoride treatments, special toothpaste, oral rinses, supplements of calcium and phosphate to re-balance the saliva’s pH chemistry, anti-bacterial agents, and tooth sealants.
