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SRUTI
IT FEELS way too good to be true : you brush
your teeth twice a day, swish a mouthwash once
in a while and generally gargle after a meal. Of
course you don’t floss regularly (you may never
have) and haven’t visited your dentist in the
last 2 years. But you don’t need to, there is no
pain and there isn’t a problem. Isn’t that so?
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You couldn’t be more
mistaken!! Its a fact that toothache seems to
be the single most important motivating factor
for an individual to visit his dentist. Even
sensitivity takes a back seat. But there is a
world of activity, most of it damaging, taking
place in your mouth and you could be totally
unaware of it or choose to be .
This discussion is an
attempt to give an insight into the process of
tooth decay. Plaque is a sticky, almost
invisible film of bacteria or germs that is
constantly forming on your teeth and gums. If
it is not brushed off after you eat, it
combines with sugars present in food particles
to produce acids which attack and harm your
teeth. Plaque turns food particles stuck
between the teeth into acid which attacks the
tooth enamel. With repeated acid attacks, the
enamel wears away and a dental cavity is
formed.
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Once a dental
cavity forms the teeth decay spreads to the next
layer the dentin. But if the dental cavity is
filled by a dentist, the tooth decay can be
stopped. If the denal cavity is not treated at
the dentin stage, the teeth decay spreads deeper
into the pulp and this can be very painful.
In the last stage the teeth decay spreads to the
root and causes an abscess, accompanied by
severe toothache. At this stage, only root canal
treatment can save the tooth, In some cases, the
tooth may have to be extracted. So wake up and
take charge! Don't wait for the toothache, Some
times it may never come ! Check with your
dentist if any of your teeth have decayed or are
in the process and save your pearly whites
before it is too late.
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