Teeth are prone to damage, this can be caused by the remnants of food and drinks attached to the teeth surfaces that are not cleaned properly for a long time. The remnants of food left on the teeth will be broken down by bacteria into acid, then this acid will be the risk of dental caries or cavities. Dental caries is common in children and adults. Dental caries can occur in individuals regardless of age. This condition often occurs due to poor oral and dental hygiene.
The tooth-forming structure on the outermost part of the tooth (tooth enamel) consists of minerals as much as 97%. Next is dentin which contains minerals (70%), water and collagen. These minerals can be eroded by acid, just like iron can be damaged by acid so that it rusts. Teeth are the same, it can be damaged by acid causing cavities or caries. This was conveyed by drg. Gloria Fortuna, Sp. KG., Conservation Specialist Dentist at Diponegoro National Hospital of Diponegoro University.
“The main cause of cavities is sugar, sugar will be broken down by bacteria so that it becomes acid. It is the acid that destroys the structure of the mineral of teeth, so that if the mineral structure of the teeth is damaged, it will cause cavities in the teeth,” she continued.
According to drg. Gloria, the genetic factor for cavities does exist, but the biggest risk of dental caries is due to habit, for example, parents have a habit of having dinner and going to bed right away without brushing their teeth. If parents feel that they have brushed their teeth in the afternoon so that they do not have to brush it again before going to bed, their children will automatically follow those habits of their parents.
“Don’t let your teeth become infected. If you feel like your teeth are already infected, you have to eliminate the cause of the infection or the bacteria. We can treat infected teeth by cleaning the root canal of the infected tooth and then filling it. The fillings here are not ordinary fillings but fillings on teeth and root canals, meaning that even though there is still infection, it can still be treated,” she said.
“Many of us still do not know that we have to go to the dentist regularly every six months. Every day we do not stop chewing, so the exposure of teeth to factors that can damage them occurs constantly. So believe that our teeth must have problems and there are things that must be checked by a doctor, whether it is dirty, having a very small hole, or damaged due to the wrong way of brushing teeth. With regular check-ups, we as dentists can stop the incident so that it does not get worse since it is being fixed as early as possible. Don’t forget to maintain cleanliness by brushing your teeth regularly,” said dr. Gloria. (Linda – Public Relations)
Translated by: Titis (Public Relations)
