Denver Dentists

Bacteria Causes Cavities Denver Dentists

Bacteria in your mouth contain several different species of bacteria with many being beneficial for the mouth. Our Denver Dentists call this the bacterial flora of the mouth.  If your mouth becomes free from bacteria, yeasts and fungi can overtake your mouth and can cause dental discomfort and dental problems. Streptococcusmutans  (a species of bacteria) causes the most of the damage. It produces acid after it attaches to your teeth in the form of plaque. It is these acids that cause the demineralization that eventually leads to decay (cavities).

Dentists Denver

Dr. Sarah Parsons, Dr. H Candace DeLapp and Dr. James DeLapp are Denver area dentists that serve, Parker, Lone Tree, and Castle Pines who strive to improve your dental health through education seen in our web site. We want you to appreciate the significance of bacteria to the dental decay process.

Your mouth contains many different kinds of bacteria with some being beneficial for the mouth. These helpful bacteria help control destructive bacteria

Causes of tooth decay:

Sugars, especially sucrose, react with bacteria to produce acid. The acid from the bacteria is what causes tooth decay. The more sticky the sugar… the more it acts like acid napalm.

It’s not just candy and the sodas we’re talking about. All carbohydrate foods, as they are digested, eventually break down into simple sugars, such as glucose, galactose, and fructose. Those that have a high glycemic index (breaks down to simple sugars more easily) are the most destructive. These include the obvious sugary foods, such as cookies, cakes, soft drinks and candy, but also something that sounds healthy as… fruit roll-ups. The sugars in these foods combine with the bacteria normally in the mouth to form acids. These acids cause the mineral crystals inside the teeth to begin to dissolve.

The key… again… is… Sugar + Bacteria = Acids = Cavities!

The dental decay (cavity) forms when these acids dissolve a tooth’s outer protective layer, the enamel. Decay (cavity) forms when the tooth decay breaks through the enamel to the underlying layers of the tooth (dentin). It may be possible in very early lesions (cavities) to reverse a carious lesion (before it becomes a cavity) by using a variety of fluoride and calcium varnishes, rinses and/or high fluoride toothpastes.

Remember, every time you eat, the bacteria in your mouth produce acid. The more frequent you introduce sugars into your diet, the more times the bacteria Streptococcus mutans gets to produce acids.  The more snacks you ingest or sip on sodas …the more times your teeth are exposed to an acid attack and…. the more chances you will develop a cavity

Call our Denver dentists today

If you want to learn more about the Highlands Ranch, Parker, Lone Tree, Parker, Ken Caryl Denver, Greenwood Village, or Castle Pines dentists, please return to the home page of our web site.  In addition, feel free to contact our office at (303) 694-9740 for an appointment for dental patients in the Highlands Ranch and Greater Denver Area. If you would like to send us an a-mail click the following link contact Dentist Denver.