Previously on Knowledge: Teeth are divided into an outer layer of enamel, a middle layer of dentin, and an inner layer of pulp chambers, whose structure is similar to that of an apple.
Huh? Today I looked in the mirror and realized that my teeth seemed a little dark! But it doesn’t seem to feel pain, or uncomfortable with congestion or anything, and the teeth are in the back of the big teeth is not much of an impact on the aesthetics, forget about it, then leave it alone. This is what many people tell our dentists to think. Is it true that these tiny black holes can be left alone? Is it true that dentists are alarmists when it comes to the negative consequences?
The blackened teeth or holes we see are known as dental caries, or what we commonly call cavities and toothworms. It is a bacterial infection of the teeth similar to bacteria, mold and mildew caused by apple mold and decay. Bacteria attached to the surface of the teeth produce various types of acids by fermenting sugar, and these acids dissolve and destroy the hard tissues of the teeth after staying on the surface of the teeth for a long period of time, thus producing dental caries.
Caries begins with the destruction of the surface enamel. In the early stages, when caries is confined to the enamel layer, we can mostly notice discoloration and blackening of the teeth, but usually without any discomfort. It is easily overlooked. When the bacteria break through the enamel and enter the relatively wet and soft dentin they can quickly cause great damage forming obvious cavities, resulting in congestion during meals and minor pain when we drink cold or hot water. When we visit the dentist in both cases, the dentist only needs to remove the infected and decayed part of the tooth and fill the cavity with specialized dental materials. With one short visit, the problem of blackened teeth, congestion and hot/cold discomfort are all solved together, and the treatment is relatively inexpensive.
If left unattended, the cavity deepens and affects the pulp, causing inflammation of the pulp which can lead to severe toothache and even head and face pain in many patients, seriously affecting their working life. If this is still ignored, it will further cause lesions in the tissues around the teeth, causing osteomyelitis, and even bacteria and toxins into the bloodstream causing serious systemic infections. It’s not alarming that a toothache can cause a swollen face, fever, or even nephritis. At this point, the doctor needs to clean out the necrotic and inflamed pulp, seal the medicine to eliminate inflammation, and go through the complicated steps of root canal treatment in order to complete the treatment of the tooth. Moreover, due to the extensive destruction of the tooth coupled with the loss of vascular nerve nourishment, the tooth becomes as fragile as dead wood, and is likely to splinter when biting hard objects, ultimately leading to no choice but to be extracted. As a result, once caries reaches the pulp, the damage is severe, requires multiple time-consuming treatments, and is relatively expensive.
Early detection and treatment of caries is particularly important. As soon as we notice the signs of caries, we should seek medical attention to minimize the damage. Just like life experience tells us that eliminating a small piece of a bad apple in time can preserve its freshness for a longer period of time. We hope that we can always do a good job of caries prevention, brush your teeth well and eat less sugar, have a mouthful of healthy and clean teeth, and bloom a beautiful and confident smile!