How Bacteria, Sugar, and Cavities are Related.

Dental Hygiene Team | 03/18/2019

Did you know that up to 700 types of bacteria can be in your mouth and about 20 million of them are on your teeth and saliva? They can double their population every 5 hours. While your saliva does wash bacteria away, when you sleep at night your saliva output drops and this is when the micro-organisms flourish.

Not all of the bacteria in your mouth is harmful. As the matter of fact, most of them play an important role in their ecosystem. Cavities and gum diseases are actually from a few strains of these harmful bacteria.

It Starts With Sugar

Bacteria like any living organism need energy to survive. Sugar that we eat provide the ideal power source for the bacteria to metabolize into energy. The bacteria in turn produce toxic acidic waste that lines our teeth and gums.

The hard-outer layer of our teeth, call the enamel, slowly erodes away as the acid attacks the mineralize surface. When it is deep enough, it turns into a cavity that opens into the tooth.

Other bacteria settle under the gums and their waste causes inflammation. This create periodontal pockets (bone dissolving around the teeth) that allow more bacteria deeper.

Does Everyone get Cavities?

Everyone has different bacteria population in their mouths and produce different level of antibodies that can destroy these disease-causing bacteria. Fortunately, we all can develop a plan to control these destructive organisms including brushing our teeth and flossing. Other strategies include rinses, water irrigators, and fluoride varnishes.

At Ah! Dentistry we’re focused on developing a preventive approach that’s as unique as you are. By partnering with our dental hygiene team, you’ll gain an advantage over these harmful bacteria.