Tooth Decay in Children

Have you ever wondered! How did holes occur in the teeth? Do you know what is tooth decay? Tooth decay is the destruction or breakdown of tooth enamel. Enamel is the hard outer surface of a tooth,  It happens when bacteria in your mouth make acids that attack the enamel. Tooth decay can lead to cavities, which are holes in your teeth. If tooth decay is not treated, it can cause severe pain, infection, and even tooth loss.

What causes tooth decay? Our mouth is the home full of bacteria. Some bacteria are helpful whereas, some can be very harmful, including the ones that play a role in tooth decay. These bacteria combine with food to form a soft, sticky plaque. The bacteria in plaque use the sugar and starch in what you eat and drink to form acids. After some time, the plaque can harden into tartar. Besides damaging your teeth, plaque and tartar can also irritate your gums and cause different gum disease. You get fluoride from toothpaste and water. This fluoride, along with an individual's salvia, helps the enamel to repair itself by replacing the minerals. This is the natural process through which teeth go of losing minerals and regaining minerals all day long. But if you don't take proper care of your teeth and keep on eating and drinking lots of sugary or starchy things, your enamel will keep losing minerals and results in tooth decay. A white spot will appear where minerals have been lost. This is one of the early signs of tooth decay. You may able to stop the decay at this point. Your enamel can still repair itself if you take proper care of your teeth and limit sugary and starchy food intake. But if the tooth decay process continues, more minerals can be lost. At one point, you will realize that the enamel is weakened or destroyed, and started forming a cavity. A cavity is a hole in the tooth which is permanent damage and needs a dentist to repair with a filling.

Symptoms of Tooth Decay: In early tooth decay, you usually don't find any symptoms but, As tooth decay gets worse, it could cause a toothache (tooth pain), tooth sensitivity while eating anything hot, cold, or sweet. You may also find a white or brown stain on the surface of a tooth. A cavity is one of the common symptoms of tooth decay. You may also get infected which could lead to the abscess.

By- Sakshi Bhardwaj