Cavity Quiz! True or False:

1) Children are more prone to cavities than adults.

False. Over the past 20 years, tooth decay in children has reduced by more than half, partially in thanks to fluoride added to drinking water. However, tooth decay is on the rise for senior citizens, partially because of medication causing dry mouth which speeds up the decay process.

2) Babies cannot develop cavities.

False. Just because your baby still has their baby teeth doesn’t mean they can’t develop tooth decay. Left untreated, the cavities can spread to other teeth.

3) Sugar is the only cause of cavities.

False. Any carbohydrate that you eat can kick-start the tooth decay process. Bacteria lives in plaque, attached to your teeth. Once they are exposed to a food source, in this case a carbohydrate, they begin releasing acid, which can damage the tooth.

4) Acid can lead to tooth decay.

True. Aside from the acid released by the bacteria in your mouth, consuming additional acid from sodas and fruit drinks can actually aide the bacteria in damaging your teeth. However, if you keep up your daily brushing, this damage can be reduced.

5) It is obvious when you have a cavity.

False. Most of the time, cavities are not easily detected. Usually, when they are noticeable to you and causing pain, they are already at an advanced state of decay. Regular dental checkups with your friendly Valencia dentist can treat cavities before they can cause you pain.

6) Cracked or chipped teeth lead to tooth decay.

True. Cracks and chips and nooks and crannies can harbor bacteria in your mouth and speed up tooth decay. They make cleaning with your tooth brush harder, especially to reach into the pockets of bacteria.

7) Tooth sensitivity means tooth decay.

False. Tooth decay typically doesn’t cause pain until it is at an advanced state. There are several other causes of tooth sensitivity, including bleaching your teeth. If you are experiencing tooth sensitivity, check with your dentist today – there could be many causes.

8) Once a cavity is filled, the decay will stop.

True. In order to fill a cavity, all of the decay is removed. As long as proper dental hygiene is practiced, no future decay is expected.

9) All fillings will eventually need to be replaced.

False. Most fillings will need to be replaced, but depending on the location of the filling and your oral hygiene, some fillings can last nearly forever.

10) Brushing, flossing, and rinsing will prevent cavities.

Absolutely true! It is much easier to prevent tooth decay than to treat it. Setting up regular appointments with your friendly Valencia dentist will not only fix cavities, but also prevent future cavities. Brushing, flossing, and rinsing daily is imperative for a healthy mouth.

More Links between Gums and Heart

New research helps strengthen the existing link between oral health and heart health. Researchers have found that oral treatment remedies used to reduce inflammation caused by gum disease (periodontitis) also prevents vascular inflammation. As a result, the reduced inflammation lowers the risk of heart attack.

Resolvin E1, the anti-inflammation molecule used to treat gum inflammation linked to gum disease, directly impacts the veins and arteries of the body. It helps reduce inflammation in the artery walls, leading to overall better heart health.

Researchers hope that this discovery, which proves that oral problems and, most importantly, how they are treated, have long-term and lasting effects on the rest of the body. In particular, the heart.

Heart disease accounts for one in four deaths in the United States, according the CDC, and that rate is on the rise. By raising awareness of the mouth’s health in relation to the rest of the body can help lower that rate. The public is well aware of the heart’s impact on the body, and observe heart disease risk factors such as hypertension, high cholesterol, diabetes, and the dangers of smoking – but very few think that gum disease could be a leading indicator (and potential cause) of heart disease.

If you have any concerns about your gum’s health, be sure to schedule your appointment with your friendly Valencia dentist today. They can go over your risks and discuss long-term goals in preventing the disease.

New Way to Treat Decay

Most preventative treatments to reduce tooth decay and dental plaque have one major shortfall: saliva can wash the treatment away before it has any chance to be effective. But researchers have found a way to stop that from happening!

The struggle with getting treatments to stick stems on the fact that plaque creates a glue of sorts and firmly attaches to your teeth. Current treatments are able to treat the plaque, but quickly wash away once saliva is introduced. 

The new treatment is actually a nano

particle system – super small particles – that is positively charged: the opposite of your plaque. In addition to that, the nanoparticles are hydrophobic, which repel liquids and allows the particles to cling to the plaque, and are pH-activated, which react when exposed to acids.

The treatment is designed to activate in low pH (acidic) environments, which is perfect for plaque, as the bacteria releases acids when exposed to sugars and starches. The acid is what actually causes the tooth decay, so a treatment that activates in that situation will work to prevent future damage and treat old damage by killing the bacteria when it is active. Tests of the treatment are proving to be effective. The research team tested the nanoparticles on rats infected with the Streptococcus mutans bacteria. When administered without the nanoparticles, the rats had no change in the number of cavities, and the treatment only reduced a minimal number of cavities. When treated with the nanoparticles, the number and severity of cavities were both reduce in a significant way.

Only your friendly Valencia dentist can treat your tooth decay. If you have any questions or concerns about cavities and ways to prevent decay, be sure to schedule your appointment today.