Why brushing, flossing and avoiding sugar is not enough.
I experienced extensive dental decay from my childhood until my late twenties, required braces and wisdom tooth removal as a teenager, and in my early thirties was advised to undergo various periodontal procedures to protect my gums. Granted my childhood diet was not the best, but later attempts starting my late teenage years to do everything never seemed to completely solve the problem.
My undergraduate studies in Nutrition/Dietetics in my early thirties led me to question why it is that some people who “do everything right” struggle with dental decay while others “who do the exact opposite” suffer not problems at all (sometimes within the exact same family!). Also why is it that almost all of us require braces and the removal of wisdom teeth, whereas our grand parents and especially our great-grand parents all seemed to have properly developed dental arches that did not necessitate these procedures. Is it simply “genetics’ or could there be other factors for which we have greater control.
Fortunately I soon became aware of dental pioneers (past and present) and nutrition enthusiasts who provided me with the sound answers. This packet is meant as a starting point for anyone looking to take greater ownership of their oral health (and to ensure a better future for future generations as I will explain throughout this series). I have done my best to site where I have received my information so that others can explore these texts/resources.
Dental Disease Statistics: Did you know?
Dental diseases are one of the most common health problems in the United States. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention:
Tooth decay affects more than one-forth of U.S. children, aged 2-5 years, and half of those aged 12 – 15 years. About half of all children and two-thirds of adolescents, aged 12 – 19 years from lower-income families, had decay.
80 – 85% of all adults are believed to have had at least one cavity of filling in either a primary or permanent tooth.
One-fourth of U.S. adults, aged 65 or older, have lost all of their teeth while 46% of this population have lost six or more.1
Periodontal disease is a complication associated with poor oral health. This condition is a major cause of tooth loss and may be associated with other chronic diseases such as heart disease and diabetes. Nearly one-half of all adults aged thirty or older have some form of periodontal disease. This statistic increases to nearly three-forth of the population aged 65 or older.2
Fortunately these conditions can be easily prevented through simple lifestyle and dietary choices. These same approaches can also strongly facilitate the treatments provided by your dental healthcare professionals.
How Dental Decay Occurs
A dental cavity, also known as dental decay, is the destruction of the tooth’s structure through the development of small pits. Changes occur within your mouth whenever certain foods are eaten. These foods include carbohydrates that begin their digestion in the mouth where they are transformed into simple sugars. These sugars provide food for certain bacteria that live in the mouth that produce acidic waste products. These acids can lower the pH in the mouth’s saliva, causing the teeth to lose minerals, and the eventual decay of the enamel and dentin resulting in dental cavities.3
Factors increasing likelihood of tooth decay:
Poor oral hygiene habits
Low salivary pH and poor buffering capacity
Types, location and amounts of certain oral bacteria
Dry mouth or low salivary flow
Systemically low antioxidants and high free-radicals
Chronic stress and hormonal imbalances
Poor dietary patterns and nutritional status throughout life 4