Tooth decay is one of the most common dental health problems. It affects people of all ages and socio-economic backgrounds. From very young children to seniors. But what are the common causes of tooth decay?

Tooth decay, also known as dental cavities or caries, is caused by several factors including:

Excessive consumption of sugary or acidic food and beverages

Frequent consumption of sugary or acidic food and beverages is a common cause of tooth decay. The bacteria that reside naturally in your mouth feed on the residues of sugary and acidic food and drinks, which are broken down into acids. The acids form plaque that can damage the enamel of your teeth and cause tooth decay and a condition known as dental erosion.

Poor oral hygiene

Poor oral hygiene refers to behaviours and habits that result in the buildup of tartar, plaque and bacteria in the mouth. Irregular brushing of teeth, lack of flossing or not spending enough time when brushing are all examples of poor oral hygiene. This can lead to some of the following:

Gingivitis

Gingivitis is an inflammatory condition of the gum tissue caused by the buildup of bacteria on the teeth. It is an early form of gum disease that has not progressed to the point of tissue or bone loss.

Periodontitis

Periodontitis is a serious gum infection that causes damage to the gums and bone that can eventually jeopardize the health of your teeth.

Symptoms of tooth decay

Tooth decay can manifest itself in some of the following ways:

Sensitive teeth

Increased sensitivity to hot or cold drinks and food.

Halitosis (Bad Breath)

Persistent bad breath, also known as halitosis, may be caused by the bacteria that contribute to tooth decay.

Discolouration

Brown, black or white spots on teeth and molars

In addition to the above, if you experience any of the symptoms below you should also urgently make an appointment with one of our specialists, regardless of whether you’re a registered patient or not.

• Loose teeth or molars
• Bleeding gums during teeth brushing
• Swollen and red gums
• Recurring problems with tartar
• Receding Gums
• Regular occurrences of cavities
• Pain when biting and chewing food

How to prevent tooth decay

So far we’ve covered the causes and symptoms, but what are the best ways to prevent tooth decay?

Tips and tricks to prevent tooth decay

You can prevent tooth decay by doing the following:

• Use an electric toothbrush for two minutes at least twice a day
• Don’t brush your teeth until a minimum of 30 minutes before or after eating, 60 minutes is even better
• Floss at least once daily and use dental brushes or sticks to remove food deposits that get stuck between your teeth
• Reduce the consumption of acidic beverages such as soda and fruit juice
• Have a maximum of 6-7 consumption moments for food and acidic or sweet drinks
  

See an oral hygienist at least twice yearly

In addition to the tips above, the best method to prevent tooth decay is to regularly visit a dental hygienist. This is a good preventative measure to take to ensure the long-term health of your teeth.

We advise that you have a twice-yearly combined appointment with a dentist and an oral hygienist. The Dentist will check for any problems with your teeth, and the dental hygienist will clean your teeth and gums. After the cleaning, our dental hygienists will advise on how best to look after your teeth.

Preventing and quickly identifying tooth decay issues will ensure that you maintain your smile and prevent any health complications that can arise as a result of tooth decay.

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Obstructive Sleep Apnea is a potentially serious sleep disorder in which breathing repeatedly starts and stops during sleep. It occurs when the throat muscles intermittently relax and block the upper airway during sleep. Some symptoms of Sleep Apnea are snoring, daytime sleepiness, headaches, irritability, anxiety, depression, memory loss, gastric reflux, and high blood pressure.
Patients with sleep apnea can stop breathing up to hundreds of times per evening, for time periods ranging from 5 seconds to over a minute in length. While breathing is stopped, and oxygen is restricted to the heart and brain, the increased heart rate and stimulation causes the body to momentarily wake. This disruption in sleep pattern is what causes excessive daytime drowsiness and exhaustion in patients.
If left untreated, the constant strain placed on the heart and brain, coupled with poor sleep quality and duration can result in serious and dangerous complications to your overall health, including heart disease, stroke, mood disorders, and accidents related to daytime drowsiness.

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For some patients experiencing obstructive sleep apnea, your sleep physician may recommend an oral sleep appliance to help alleviate the underlying symptoms and complications associated with it.
Symptoms of sleep apnea can include excessive daytime sleepiness, depression, high blood pressure, and nighttime teeth grinding.
A sleep appliance is a device that is worn in the mouth overnight, designed to position the lower jaw slightly forward , thereby bringing the tongue forward, and expanding the throat in a way that keeps your airway open to facilitate unobstructed breathing while you are asleep.
There are several designs and styles of sleep appliances available to assist with treatment, all capable of being custom fitted to the contours of your mouth.
Given the potentially dangerous complications arising from untreated sleep apnea, it is critical to work closely with your dentist to develop a treatment plan that meets your unique needs and promotes your overall health.

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For patients requiring replacement of all teeth in the upper and/or lower arch of the mouth, a bar-retained overdenture with dental implants is an excellent treatment option.
An overdenture improves your appearance by replacing your missing teeth while providing improved overall function for eating and speech, combining the stability provided by dental implants with the convenience of a removable denture. It will require multiple appointments for your doctor to place the dental implants and design your overdenture.
A bar retained overdenture is a removable prosthesis placed in the mouth containing replacement teeth, mounted in a base made of pink resin create an exact fit over your existing gums. It has clips underneath that securely attach to metal bar fixed in place using dental implants, which are artificial roots placed into the supporting bone.
Utilizing implants not only provides a solid foundation for the denture teeth allowing for optimal eating and speaking, but also helps to prevent the surrounding bone from shrinking over time without a tooth root structure to support it.
The first step in this process is to take an impression of the area, which your doctor will use to create a set of temporary dentures for you. When the temporary dentures are completed, diagnostic images are taken of the area to plan out the placement of your dental implants.
Next, the area is prepared and your dental implants are placed. Special healing caps are placed over your implants while you heal. At subsequent visits your doctor will monitor the healing process, letting you know when the area is ready for the next phase of treatment. You can continue to wear your temporary denture during this time.
Once your implants have fully healed, your doctor will take new impressions of your mouth. These impressions will be used to create your support bar and final overdenture.
During follow up appointments, your doctor will check for proper fit and bite alignment of the bar and final denture. It may require multiple incremental ‘try-in†fittings to ensure the best final result for you. Once all adjustments have been made, the support bar is fixed in place, and the overdenture placed onto the bar.
Once all adjustments have been made, the support bar is fixed in place, and the overdenture placed onto the bar. With the process completed, you will have a removable restoration specially designed to replace your natural teeth in a way that greatly improves your appearance, with the added advantage of clipping to a fixed structure in way limits denture movement and promotes optimal function when eating or speaking.

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Sometimes, even after an endodontic treatment (a root canal treatment) is performed on a tooth, an infection may remain at the end of the root. Symptoms of an infection include throbbing toothache, sensitivity to heat and tenderness when chewing. This can spread to fever, swollen lymph nodes and sinus pain. If left untreated, this can lead to loss of the tooth and spread of infection throughout your body.

During an apical resection, your dentist accesses the infection by making a small opening above the tooth. The infected tissue is removed and the tip of the root is removed to remove any additional infection. The opening is then cleaned and filled and the area is closed and left to heal. Healing for an apical resection depends on the severity of the infection and can range from months to a year. After the infection is removed and the root is resealed, the tooth is preserved and restored to health.

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In cases where a tooth is lost, and a dental implant is needed, your doctor may recommend a bone graft be performed to stabilize and support it.
The first step in this procedure is to prepare the site for placing the dental implant.
Next, the implant body is placed into the bone.
Once the implant is placed, bone material is packed around the implant.
The area is covered with a special healing membrane, and a healing cap is seated on the implant.
The area is then sutured and given time to heal- during this time, the graft solidifies around the implant and blends into your natural bone tissue. While healing, your doctor can provide a temporary tooth to fill the space.
Once fully healed, the damaged bone will have regained its original strength and stability. The final restoration can be placed onto the implant at a future appointment to complete the process.

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Without regular dental cleanings, harmful bacteria and hard deposits called calculus build up on your teeth above and below your gums, releasing harmful toxins that can lead to gingivitis- inflamed and bleeding gums.

This buildup occurs in areas that cannot be reached by brushing, flossing, or even regular dental cleaning. Your dentist may recommend a procedure called debridement to remove these deposits from your teeth.

Debridement is usually performed with an ultrasonic cleaner, which uses high-frequency vibration to separate the calculus from the tooth.
In many cases, this can bring your gums back to health. Your doctor can help you determine the best next steps in your treatment. If these symptoms are not treated, they may lead to periodontitis and bone loss, requiring more advanced procedures to remedy.

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