Small tooth decay should not be ignored and can deteriorate and become serious at any time

"Toothache is not a disease, it hurts really badly" has always been a popular saying, but it is actually not scientific, because toothache is a symptom of oral disease, especially in the case of tooth decay, it is really unable to eat, unable to sleep, uncomfortable, and family members are also very distressed.There must not be a concept of waiting, forget it. The notion that toothache is not a disease is not only wrong, but it can delay treatment, worsen tooth decay, and lead to more tooth decay. "Toothache is not a disease, it hurts really badly" has always been a popular saying, but it is actually not scientific, because toothache is a symptom of oral disease, especially in the case of tooth decay, it is really unable to eat, unable to sleep, uncomfortable, and family members are also very distressed. There must not be a concept of waiting, forget it. The notion that toothache is not a disease is not only wrong, but it can delay treatment, worsen tooth decay, and lead to more tooth decay.

How tooth decay is caused:

1. Tooth decay is not caused by toothworms, but the residual food chips in the unclean area of the tooth surface, and the bacteria make it corrupt to produce acid, and the acid decalcifies the tooth and becomes a cavity, that is, tooth decay.

2. Meat is rotten and smelly, rice is rotten and sour, and acid will cause tooth decay, especially candy and cakes.

3. The saliva is too little and too thick, and it is easy to decay teeth.

4. People in areas with fluoride in drinking water have less tooth decay.

What are the symptoms of different degrees of tooth decay?

Stage 1: Mild tooth decay (latent caries)

There are no self-conscious symptoms of superficial caries. Initially, the enamel appears as brown or black-brown spots or patches with a rough surface. This is followed by surface failure. Proximal caries begins to occur below the contact surface, while pit and fissure caries usually begin in the sulcus and are not easily visible in the early stages.It can only be seen when it occurs at the pit and fissure openings.

Stage 2: Moderate tooth decay (medium caries)

The decay has reached the dentin, forming a superficial cavity of the dentin. Sick children may feel tooth soreness when exposed to cold water, cold air, or sweet or sour food, but the symptoms disappear immediately after the irritation is removed. This is due to the fact that dentin is hyperesthetically sensitive to stimulation. Timely treatment of caries is good.

Stage 3: Severe tooth decay (deep caries)

Decay has reached deep into the dentin, close to the pulp, or has affected the pulp. Patients have pain in cold, heat, sourness, and sweetness, especially sensitivity to heat, and the pain lasts for a certain period of time before gradually disappearing. In this case, endodontic treatment is often required to preserve the tooth.

Preventive care for tooth decay:

1. Reducing or eliminating pathogenic irritants, reducing or eliminating plaque, changing the oral environment, and creating cleaning conditions are important links to prevent caries, and the most practical and effective way is to brush teeth and rinse your mouth. Publicity and education should be strengthened so that children can develop oral hygiene habits and learn how to brush their teeth rationally from an early age. Brushing your teeth can remove most of the bacteria in your mouth and reduce plaque formation. Children can have their teeth scrubbed with a soft towel or flannel cloth by their parents. Toddlers can learn to brush their teeth after the age of 3. Brush once in the morning and evening as much as possible, and rinse your mouth after meals. Brushing before saliva is more important because of the long interval between nights and the tendency for bacteria to multiply.It is necessary to brush smoothly, that is, "brush the upper teeth from top to bottom, and brush the lower teeth from the bottom to the top", "brush inside and out", and pay attention to the bite surface of the back teeth. In this way, the food residue between the teeth and on the surface of the teeth can be brushed clean, and the mouth should be rinsed after brushing. Do not brush horizontally, it is easy to damage the gums, and it will not clean the residue between the teeth. In 1975, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Light Industry and the Ministry of Commerce jointly convened a national conference on toothbrushes and formulated the "Interim Specifications for Health Care Toothbrushes". In 1989, the Ministry of Health convened the National Technical Committee on Sanitary Standards, and the Toothbrush Branch Committee conducted the "Provisional Specifications". The standard bristles of children's toothbrushes should not exceed two rows, 5~6 bundles per row, and the hair quality should be soft, and the toothbrush bristles used by primary school students should not exceed three rows, 6~7 bundles per row. Toothbrush standards for middle school students have also been developed for adult toothbrushes as a reference.

Attention should be paid to children's eating habits, increase various complementary foods on time, eat more coarse, hard and fibrous foods, which have the effect of rubbing and cleaning the tooth surface and reduce the accumulation of food debris. Hard foods need to be chewed well, which not only strengthens the periodontal tissues, but also rubs the bite surface of the teeth, which may make the pit and fissure shallow and help reduce pit and fissure caries.

2. Reduce or control sugar in the diet China is a country where cereals are the staple food, and it is difficult to control carbohydrates in the diet to prevent caries.However, in recent years, there has been a significant increase in confectionery and beverages. Attention should be paid to publicizing so that parents can educate their children to develop the habit of eating less snacks and sweets and pastries, not eating sugar before going to bed, and paying attention to the quality of children's meals. From an early age, children should develop a habit of eating more vegetables, fruits, and foods containing calcium, phosphorus, and vitamins. Eat as much whole grains as possible. Breastfeeding babies should be emphasized. Recently, the international community advocates the control of carbohydrates in the diet and the use of sugar substitutes to reduce tooth decay, which is not practical and economical in China at present. Recently, it has been reported that a certain sugar substitute (aspartame) commonly used in the United States is toxic, which has attracted international attention.

3. Enhancing the caries resistance of teeth is mainly to increase the fluoride in the teeth through fluoridation, especially to change the structure of the enamel surface or surface to enhance its caries resistance. In modern times, the methods that are considered to be more effective include: centralwater fluoridation, school water fluoridation, topicalfluoridization, fluoride toothpaste, fluoride toothbrushing, fluoride solution gargle (fluoride solution) and other methods.