Caries is a dental disease characterized by the formation of defects in tooth tissues and its gradual destruction. There is an infectious and dystrophic type of the disease. Many people think about how quickly caries develops and what contributes to this process. In the article we will try to find answers to these and many other questions.
Medical statistics
Recently, they started talking about this disease much more often, and all because today caries is one of the most common pathologies. According to medical statistics, almost every adult has at least once encountered the worst enemy of a snow-white smile. In young children, caries confidently takes the second place among other chronic diseases.
Statistics is a stubborn thing. And here’s what she’s talking about:
- about 85% of children have carious cavities in milk teeth;
- in approximately 80% of cases, this disease occurs in adolescents;
- almost 100% adult caries prevalence.
The lowest prevalence of dental disease is observed in equatorial countries. Most often suffer from caries in North America and the countries of Northern Europe.
It should be said that recently the situation has somewhat changed for the better. So, thanks to the preventive work that dentists regularly carry out, the number of patients is getting smaller.
How are the teeth arranged?
Before you learn how fast caries develops, you should familiarize yourself with the physiological characteristics of the teeth. They are the basis of the chewing apparatus in humans and are an integral part of the digestive system.
Teeth are hard formations that differ in structure from bones. By their origin, they are a derivative of the mucous membrane. Each tooth is fixed in the actual bone hole (alveolus), which is located in the upper or lower jaw.
In humans, 4 types of teeth are distinguished: incisors (designed to bite off food), fangs (used to tear hard foods), premolars and molars (these are small and large molars that are designed to chew food). This applies to the characteristics of the teeth. However, it is worth familiarizing with their structure in more detail. This will help to answer the question of how fast caries develops.
Tooth anatomical structure
A human tooth consists of several parts, each of which performs a specific function:
- A crown is a tooth protruding above the gum that grinds food.
- The neck is the place where the crown of the tooth goes to its root.
- The tooth root itself is a special part, which is located in the hole (a tooth can have 1, 2 or even 3 roots).
- The top of the tooth is its final part.
In turn, a tooth consists of several types of tissue.
Tooth problems
Dental diseases were known in ancient times. So, the characteristic cavities on the fossilized teeth found during excavations eloquently indicate that the ancient man suffered from toothache.
How fast does caries develop? To begin with, it is worth deciding directly with the concept itself. So, caries is a process of destruction of tooth tissues under the influence of pathogens. Today, the chances of encountering such a problem are quite large: poor ecology, refined nutrition and, of course, insufficient oral hygiene. The latter factor creates the prerequisites for the development of caries in infancy (there is even a special medical term - bottle caries).
In fact, the main factor provoking the development of caries is the food left in the mouth. The longer it stays there, the faster bacteria multiply, which during their life release aggressive acids, leading to the destruction of dental tissues.
The mechanism of development of caries
Dentists around the world are not in vain recommending brushing your teeth twice a day. Oral hygiene is the main factor that prevents the development of caries in adults and children. Trying to freshen your breath during the day with chewing gum (if you can’t thoroughly brush your teeth in the morning) can only aggravate the situation.
How fast does caries develop in adults? The answer is only one: without proper oral care - very quickly. Young children very often neglect hygiene procedures. It is difficult for them to explain why it is so important to brush your teeth regularly. In fact, even a small bottle of milk at night negatively affects the condition of tooth enamel in infants.
Someone may ask: did people always use toothpaste and floss? The fact is that before the food was natural, in contrast to what can now be found in the refrigerator. Therefore, the question of how rapidly caries develops in adults is becoming increasingly relevant. Currently, semi-finished products and various additives completely replaced natural products. And this only means that regular oral care does not mean anything. It all depends on the set of trace elements that are responsible for the strength of enamel.
In this case, the question arises: what trace element deficiency contributes to the development of caries? First you need to understand the mechanism of destruction of tooth enamel.
How does the disease develop?
Human tooth consists of dentin. The solid base is cement and enamel. In the dentin cavity there are channels for the pulp, which is a neurovascular bundle that feeds the tooth. At the apex, it connects to the common nervous system.
The very first stage of caries is a slight damage to the tooth enamel. If no measures are taken at this stage, caries will switch to dentin. Characteristic symptoms that arise in this case: hypersensitivity to sweets, high and low temperatures, as well as severe pain during mechanical action.
If one of the above symptoms appears, you should contact your dentist. A qualified specialist will seal and close the damage with a crown. Otherwise, the disease will progress, and the initial stage of development of caries will gradually proceed to the next stage - damage to the pulp and, as a result, its death. There is only one way out - opening a tooth, removing a nerve, cleaning the canal and further filling.
Stage of development of dental caries
So, at the very beginning, on enamel, with sufficient lighting, small spots of white or cream shade become noticeable. Very often, dentists use a special coloring pigment, which allows you to identify areas suffering from a lack of trace elements. They eloquently indicate that tooth decay is developing, but its structure itself remains intact. Most often, this stage is ignored by the patient - a person simply perceives the spots as an aesthetic defect.
The development of caries contributes to a lack of calcium in the human body. Demineralization can last quite a long time: from one month to a whole year. And again, it all depends on the quality of the oral care procedures (thorough brushing significantly slows down the progression of the destructive process). At this stage, the treatment is reduced to mineralization of the damaged area, that is, saturation with fluorine, calcium and other useful trace elements.
Further development of caries
If you do not stop the process of destruction of tooth enamel, it will begin to thin out in places of aggressive exposure to acids. At this stage, it is possible to determine more noticeable damage: the spots become clearly visible, there is an increased sensitivity of the teeth to hot or cold. Caries has not yet spread so much, but its presence is becoming more tangible. This stage can last from several weeks to several months.
The third stage of the development of the disease corresponds to moderate caries . The changes concern not only enamel, but also dentin - the cavity grows quickly enough, the tissue becomes much softer and more vulnerable. Pain occurs when inhaling air. Significant discomfort also causes bad breath. It takes about 2 months, and the tooth is destroyed almost completely.
The very last stage is complete tooth decay. Here you will have to use special tabs to somehow restore the affected areas. The tooth crumbles, which causes significant inconvenience during treatment. Acute pain can occur even in the absence of any effect. At this stage, caries managed to get to the soft tissues, which contributes to the development of pulpitis.
As mentioned above, the main condition for the development of caries is insufficient oral hygiene, as well as a lack of calcium and fluoride.
What is the danger of caries?
The speed of the lesion may be different. A tooth can decay gradually, or literally in two months can cause tangible discomfort. It all depends on the genetic predisposition, compliance with hygiene standards, environmental conditions and diet. If you do not pay attention to the primary signs of caries, you can encounter serious complications, such as:
- Pulpitis. Bacteria are increasingly actively approaching the pulp, if the development of caries is not stopped. As a result, its inflammation and the formation of pulpitis occur, which is accompanied by acute pain and purulent secretion.
- Periodontitis This is a consequence of advanced pulpitis, which provokes the development of necrotic processes. The infection penetrates the root of the tooth and bone. And at the top of the root an inflammatory process develops - an abscess.
- A basal cyst. When the upper layers of the root are infected, granulation tissue begins to form, which, in turn, can lead to a basal cyst.
- Flux. This is a consequence of the two previous processes. In the language of dentists - periostitis. The process is accompanied by swelling in the neck and cheeks. All this is a consequence of infection of the dental canals. Here you can not do without surgical intervention. First of all, it is necessary to remove the accumulated pus. After this, the patient is prescribed a course of antibiotics, and only then can the fate of the tooth be decided.
Ignoring caries can lead to even more serious consequences. That is why it is so important to know what contributes to the development of caries in humans, in order to prevent the progression of the destructive process.
Can I get caries from another person?
The development of the disease is the result of the vital activity of cariogenic microbes - streptococci, actinomycetes, as well as lactobacilli. Most adults have their own microflora in the oral cavity, so it is unrealistic to become infected with caries during a kiss.
A completely different situation in relation to children under one year of age. Infants are characterized by the development of caries of an infectious origin. Who would have thought, but it is close people who provoke the development of dental pathology. So, for example, the baby’s mother, licking the nipple, can infect her baby. As soon as the baby has the first teeth, they acquire a dark coating. Milk teeth are destroyed instantly, which can lead to a change in the shape of the face and the further spread of the disease.
Often the development of the so-called nursery caries contributes to the nutrition of the child. Sweet cereals and yogurts, juices and fruits - all this contributes to the development of pathogens.
What you need to know about caries in children?
Even the most harmless dummy with which the baby falls asleep can aggravate the situation. In this case, insufficient saliva is secreted, but microbes and bacteria begin to multiply intensively. Many people think about how quickly caries develops in adults, but few people think about the consequences that a child can affect:
- Milk caries is the most common cause of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.
- Loss of a tooth provokes a violation of diction and occlusion.
- Because of caries, children often refuse solid food, which greatly complicates the development of the temporomandibular joint.
- Sick milk teeth are the carelessness of adults.
If you do not treat caries in a child, you can face serious problems. So, the bite and oval of the face changes, which leads to problems with social adaptation. You need to brush your teeth from infancy. This can be done with a special silicone brush or gauze soaked in a solution with soda.
Preventative methods
For most adults, going to the dentist's office is stressful. And if children are afraid of pain, then adult patients - the cost of treatment and further consequences. Proper and timely prophylaxis is 99% healthy teeth.
Of great importance is proper nutrition and self-prevention, such as:
- thorough chewing of food (load distribution throughout the jaw);
- balanced diet;
- intake of complex vitamins;
- regular oral care;
- the use of special hygiene products to strengthen tooth enamel.
Currently, a unique procedure is very popular - sealing fissures. Enamel is coated with special sealants, which prevents the formation of carious cavities for a long time.
Oral hygiene
Teeth should be brushed in the morning, in the evening and after each meal. This should be done carefully, brushing your teeth on both sides. The dentist’s office must be visited at least twice a year for preventive purposes. If you experience minor toothache, you should immediately consult a doctor.
And yes, by the way, chewing gum does not help prevent tooth decay. It freshens the breath, but does not help reduce the activity of pathogens.