What makes teeth ill
Three diseases, one common cause.
When teeth first see the dim light of the mouth, they are usually completely healthy. They stay that way as long as conditions in the mouth are good, but with the eruption of the milk teeth the first attack on dental health often begins. More than 900 species of bacteria live in the mouth, most of them harmless to our teeth. But there are also some that have no business in a healthy mouth and that can damage tooth substance
Lactobacilli, for example, or the bacterium Streptococcus mutans, which plays a leading role in the development of caries. It can break simple sugars down into acids. It can also build more complex carbohydrate compounds out of sugar, which serve the germs themselves as a food reserve for times when little sugar is available. In those phases it falls back on them and breaks them down into acids, which in turn attack the enamel. Streptococcus mutans is not part of the original oral flora, and no bacteria of this kind will be found in a newborn baby. Like many other pathogens it is passed from mouth to mouth. The source of infection may be the mother, the father or the grandparents. When they lick the dummy or the child's spoon, the germs are transferred to the infant or toddler. Once it has been in an adult's mouth, a small spoon carries thousands of dangerous bacteria into the baby's mouth
An intact oral flora and a working immune system can cope with the bacteria in the mouth, and a deliberately tooth-friendly diet can also help to keep harmful germs in check. But the basis of healthy teeth is the regular and consistent cleaning of every tooth at home, with professional support from modern prevention programmes at the dental practice. Clean teeth are teeth free of bacteria and therefore free of deposits – the starting point of further diseases of teeth and gums. Diseases that can of course also be encouraged by eating habits or by behaviour harmful to health: in smokers the risk of periodontitis is three to five times higher
Keeping your own teeth for as long as possible! That wish is the focus of modern, prevention-oriented dentistry. Ideal care at home and professional support from the experts at the dental practice together form the most successful route to healthy, well-kept teeth. Prevention helps to avoid elaborate treatment, because a clean tooth rarely falls ill
Healthy teeth for a lifetime? No utopia. Anyone who looks after the health of their teeth and gums in good time – and in good time here means from the first tooth onwards – can do a great deal to avoid diseases such as caries, gingivitis or periodontitis
Scientific studies confirm the success of professional tooth cleaning, which is always part of a modern prevention plan. And one thing is clear: every healthy, natural tooth is better than the most perfect replacement, even though modern dentistry can help well here too. A willingness to do something yourself for the health of your own teeth can do much to lower the risk of disease and avoid the cost of expensive replacements
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