Healthy Teeth
The relationship of the teeth to general health and efficiency was appreciated during a general way long before vitamins or focal infections had been heard of. Toothaches wont to be as inevitable as colds; and slave buyers and horse traders inspected the teeth of their prospective purchases before buying. But only in recent times has attention been given to the care and preservation of the teeth.
Dental Caries
Early studies of the cause and prevention of cavity suggested that there could be one causative factor but further results show that the matter may be a complex one, with diet, heredity, internal secretions, mechanical factors, and oral hygiene of greatest importance.
Diet and cavity
There is now general agreement that diet probably is that the most vital single think about the upkeep of sound, healthy teeth, which an adequate diet is most essential during the amount of most rapid climb . McCullum and Simmonds conclude from an experimental study that rats which are kept on a deficient diet during a neighborhood of the growing period have inferior teeth and early decay, albeit an adequate diet is provided later. within the days before viosterol had been developed and before cod-liver oil was widely used, McCullum also reported that at the age of entering school 9 per cent of youngsters who had been breast-fed for a minimum of 6 months had cavity , 22 per cent of youngsters who were ate up cow's milk or on milk mixtures, and 27 per cent who were ate up oatmeal water and other prepared foods. this is able to indicate that the inspiration of dental health is laid very early in life, but it now appears that the prenatal period is additionally of great importance during this regard. Consequently emphasis is now being placed upon a correct diet during pregnancy.
Important though diet admittedly is, there doesn't seem to be any single dietary factor which is liable for cavity . Calcium and phosphorus, the 2 minerals found in bones and teeth, and vitamin D , which regulates the use of those minerals by the body, are clearly essential. Of these, calcium and vitamin D were first thought to be of greatest importance: but the newer work seems to point that phosphorus is of as great if not greater importance than calcium. Milk, certain vegetables, and fish foods are rich sources of both calcium and phosphorus. vitamin D is extremely likely to be deficient in natural foods during the winter months but is definitely administered within the sort of cod-liver oil, vitamin D milk, or viosterol.
Children have long been denied candy due to the assumption that sugar is said to dental decay, and certain studies administered in institutions for orphans where the diet is strictly controlled suggest that the prevalence of cavity is directly associated with the quantity of carbohydrate within the diet. Cereals from which the hull of the grain has been removed seem to possess an unfavorable influence upon the event of the teeth, and a number of other investigators believe that oatmeal contributes on to the formation of caries.
Divergent opinions concerning the relation of diet to dental health leave one rather confused. Apparently nobody dietary factor is liable for resistance to caries, but various elements are necessary for the right development and continuing soundness of the teeth. For practical purposes a well-rounded diet, containing liberal amounts of milk, fruit juice , fresh fruits, vegetables, and for youngsters cod-liver oil or another sort of vitamin D , could also be depended upon to provide the nutritional requirements of the teeth.
Cleanliness
It is frequently said that "a clean tooth never decays." Whether or not this is often true depends upon the definition of cleanliness. If cleanliness implies freedom from bacteria, the statement probably is correct. But with bacteria constantly present within the mouth and within the food we eat, it's impossible to possess the teeth bacteriologically clean.
The mechanism of decay is thru the action of acids produced by bacterial decomposition of food, first upon the enamel then upon the softer dentine of the tooth. The action of this acid upon the tooth structure may begin in any crevice, irregularity, or break within the enamel. the quantity of decomposition and acid formation is greatest when there are gross accumulations of food substances. In fact, it's between the teeth, where it's difficult to stop accumulations of food that decay most often begins. Hence, although cleanliness of the teeth is hot the sole think about the prevention of dental decay, or maybe the foremost important one it's not without significance.
Some clarification of this aspect of the matter has been given by recent studies of the bacteria found within the mouth. If a specific germ called Lactobacillus acidophilus occurs in quantity caries develop with great rapidity. this is often because these bacteria influence carbohydrates, particularly sugars, on and round the teeth to make acids which dissolve the enamel and therefore the dentine. These studies have also shown that if persons have excessive number of lactobacilli in their mouths, the quantity of caries are often reduced by the elimination of sugars and other easily fermentable carbohydrates from the diet.
It now appears that certain chemicals applied to the teeth will neutralize the acids formed by the action of bacteria upon carbohydrates and thus reduce caries. a number of these chemicals are now being included in so-called "ammoniated" toothpastes.
Fluorine and cavity
During the past several years investigations have taken another turn. it had been determined that the sole chemical difference between carious and non-carious teeth is that carious teeth contain less fluorine, a element which is present in minute amounts within the bones and teeth. This was followed by an investigation of the fluorine content of the beverage in areas during which cavity are rare and areas during which they're prevalent. Here again a difference in fluorine content was found. From these studies it's been concluded that the presence of roughly 1 a part of fluorine per 1,000,000 parts of beverage leads to a decreased prevalence of caries. Incidentally fluorine during this amount causes some mottling of the teeth.
Proceeding on the idea of this information, several investigators have experimented with the appliance of fluorine to the surface of the teeth of youngsters . during this study Knutson and Armstrong reported that the appliance of two per cent salt solution to the teeth resulted in 40 per cent less caries over a period of a year in 289 children than developed in 326 untreated controls. No healing effect was noted on teeth during which caries existed. This use of fluorine for the prevention of cavity may be a promising line of investigation but it's still within the experimental stage.
Other exceedingly important studies are those during which salt in minute amounts is being added to the water supplies of several cities which have low fluoride content. If this could prove effective in preventing caries, it'll be an excellent forward step within the control of this most widespread of human diseases.
That other factors play a neighborhood in determining the health of teeth is clear from the very fact that some persons remain immune from caries regardless of how unbalanced the diet or how unclean the mouth, while others develop caries albeit the diet, thus far as we will tell, is entirely adequate and therefore the care of the mouth perfect. one among these additional factors probably is heredity, and therefore the functioning of the glands of hormone could also be another.
Apical Infections
The so-called "apical abscesses" which develop round the roots of teeth are the foremost dangerous sort of mouth infection. Infective organisms usually reach these areas by traveling from deep cavities down the pulp of the tooth and along the basis canal. On the opposite hand, abscesses occasionally occur round the roots of apparently healthy teeth.
An infection at the basis of a tooth begins as alittle inflammatory area within the bone during which the tooth is embedded. Unless an abscess forms and works its thanks to the surface, becoming a so-called "gum boil," these infections cannot drain. The result's that their toxic products and even the bacteria themselves could also be absorbed into the blood and lymph stream to be circulated throughout the body. The toxic products cause fatigue, lassitude, and various aches and pains, while bacteria which are absorbed may found out infections within the joints, kidneys, or heart Valves. Abscesses at the roots of certain teeth of the upper jawbone may extend directly into the antrum, producing one among the foremost severe sorts of sinus infection. the event of those root abscesses is typically amid pain, but they'll develop, particularly at the roots of "dead" teeth, with none warning whatsoever. the sole satisfactory treatment is free drainage obtained by the removal of the tooth.
Gingivitis and Pyorrhea
Gingivitis means an inflammatory condition of the gums; While Pyorrhea implies that actual pus is present. the traditional gums are pink or light red in color, thin and firm. If they become bright red or purplish, soft, swollen, and spongy, or bleed easily, they ought to receive attention. The causes of an unhealthy condition of the gums could also be faulty diet, mechanical irritation, or bacterial infection.
Vitamin C seems to be the dietary factor most directly associated with the health of the gums. In scurvy, the disease thanks to vitamin C deficiency, a spongy, bleeding condition of the gums may be a prominent symptom. Hanke reported that the addition of a pint of fruit juice and therefore the juice of 1 lemon to the daily diet cause an almost complete disappearance of gingivitis.
Mechanical injury to the gums may result from the faulty use of the toothbrush or from the buildup of tartar lime like deposits on the teeth at the gum margin. Such mechanical injury causes irritation and is usually followed by secondary infection.
Exercise and massage of the gums by biting and chewing assist within the maintenance of an adequate circulation and a healthy condition. For this reason it's important that teeth be kept in proper repair in order that they're going to be used regularly and uniformly. Missing teeth and poor fillings prevent the right use of the teeth in chewing. Gentle massage of the gums with the fingers or the toothbrush, employing a stroke toward the gum margin, is useful in maintaining good circulation.
Pyorrhea may be a more severe infection of the gums which demands expert treatment. there's no mouthwash, toothpaste, or powder which will cure it.
Trench Mouth
A severe sort of gingivitis which received special study during the primary war has been called "trench mouth." this is often caused by a selected germ and is definitely communicated from one person to a different , either directly or indirectly through drinking glasses or eating utensils. The treatment of Vincent's angina may be a problem for a physician or a dentist.
Care of the Mouth and Teeth
Cleanliness of the mouth and teeth is vital from an aesthetic also as from a hygienic point of view. it's difficult to stay the mouth clean in sight of the irregularities within the shape of the teeth and therefore the crevices between them. Nevertheless, by the regular use of the toothbrush and floss the teeth could also be kept relatively free from deposits of food and mucus. The mouth should be cleansed upon rising within the morning, after each meal, and before retiring.
The Toothbrush
A small or medium-sized brush with a straight or slightly convex brushing surface seems to offer the simplest results. The bristles should be relatively short and stiff, with the tufts widely separated and containing bristles of various lengths. The expense of the comb isn't necessarily a criterion of its value.
Healthy Teeth
Reviewed by newsanddailyupdates
on
October 27, 2020
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