Who is the enemy?

People are shocked when they find out that bacteria don't decay teeth.

Yes, that is correct. The bacteria don't aim at your tooth and start eating away. They don’t have a way to penetrate into your enamel or dentin and make it weak. They don't even do anything with the tooth material -- calcium, phosphorus, and fluoride -- that is lost when decay occurs.

Why do dentists and hygienists get all bent out of shape when you don’t brush your teeth if the brushing is only to remove the bacteria? So what causes decay?

Well those bacteria actually are involved in the process, but indirectly. They release, as a by-product of their metabolism of the sugars you eat, strong and weak acids around the little colony where they are living. Within seconds of you consuming simple sugars they start pumping out large quantities of acid, which have the ability to dissolve the enamel and dentin of your teeth. The attack of the acid on your tooth chemically dissolves tooth structure. This makes more room for the bacteria to grow into and get protection from things that can clean them off the surface, and the process accelerates.

Preventing decay involves doing a few things. First, stop the high sugar diet and reduce high acid foods also. Not only is sugar making you gain weight, it is providing food for the bacteria that release acid to dissolve your teeth. And the acid in foods and especially drinks (citrus is the worst, way above acid in sodas) keeps the environment in your mouth at a low pH, setting the stage for a quick dissolution of your enamel and dentin. Second, remove the bacteria that are associated with chemical cavitation of tooth structure, the faster the better. One study found that within 3 minutes of consumption, 85%+ of the damage was done to tooth structure. Brushing and flossing often and soon after meals will reduce the chance of decay developing. Third, strengthen the tooth structure by having fluoride in your toothpaste and, if necessary, having supplemental fluoride when you have your dental visits.

So now you know. And we will still get bent out of shape if you don’t brush, so do it often. : )

Bad Advice: Mehmet Oz is not a dentist!

Dr Oz has lots of advice to give people concerning their health. However, when he tries to discuss dentistry he usually completely mucks things up. This is one example of what he flippantly says about bleaching your teeth at home with an "oh so wrong" recipe:


http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/naturally-whiten-teeth-pt-2


There are so many things that are incorrect about what he says about bleaching. Let me list them:

1. Baking soda crystals (yes it looks like a powder, but they are micro-crystals) are very abrasive and will scratch the enamel of your teeth
2. Lemon juice is very acidic, citric acid and phosphoric acid are both present, and will erode your teeth
3. The mixture doesn't actually bleach your teeth chemically like what a dentist would give you. The mixture actually erodes your teeth and in doing so gives them a chalky surface which appears whiter.
4. The acids in the lemon juice have been linked in commercial sodas and waters to be the most erosive and decay causing ingredients in beverages, 4 - 5 as erosive as the acids in Coke or Pepsi
5. The recipe given has no ingredient amounts; toss in a blob of baking soda and put it on your teeth. If it is mixed with too much baking soda, it will be very abrasive, too much juice, it will be very acidic. While there is no optimal ratio, if it actually did work it would be a vital detail for success
6. The length of time that the mixture would have to sit on the teeth is also of importance. The strength of the recipe would make a big difference in time needed on the teeth to make a discernible effect.

So, for bleaching, come see us and get the right ingredients on your teeth which will actually react with the colored stains in the teeth while leaving the structure of the teeth safe and unharmed.


More of what Dr. Oz has to say about dentistry will be the subject of future blogs.