The Science

Cavities (dental caries) are caused by a bacterial imbalance in your mouth, and when dentists drill and fill cavities, they are only treating the result of the infection, not the imbalance itself—and the decay returns. While brushing and flossing can reduce bacteria, neither alters the current acidic bacterial balance in your mouth, and you continue to get cavities. CariFree pH elevated products change the chemical balance of your mouth and are scientifically proven to prevent cavities.

Dental Cavities Causes-

• Poor oral hygiene
• Bacterial imbalance
• Improper nutrition
• Dry mouth issues
• Genetics and age

Dental Cavities Symptoms

• Persistent toothache and pain
• Bad breath or bad taste in mouth
• Pain when chewing
• Increased sensitivity to temperature
• Dark spots on teeth or discoloration

Dry mouth is a surprisingly common problem. One in four Americans suffer from it. At the most basic level, dry mouth is a lack of saliva—simply not having enough saliva or, at its worst, having no saliva. This is a problem because saliva helps return your mouth’s pH levels back to neutral after eating, countering the acid attack brought on by eating and drinking. Saliva is our body’s best defense against the formation of caries, so a lack of saliva is a genuine medical problem in its own right. A variety of things can cause or contribute to dry mouth, including medications, age, medical issues, and more. Signs of dry mouth can vary from person to person. In general, if you suspect you may have dry mouth, you probably have experienced some or all of the following: a sticky feeling in the mouth; chronic bad breath; thick feeling saliva; problems chewing or swallowing; dry, painful tongue; scratchy, hoarse throat; and /or altered taste.

Dry Mouth Causes

• Medications
• Cancer therapy
• Nerve damage
• Alcohol, tobacco, or recreational drug use

Dry Mouth Symptoms

• Dry or sore throat
• Bad breath
• Thick, stringy saliva
• Difficulty chewing, speaking or swallowing
• Problems wearing dentures

Periodontitis is a serious infection of the gum tissue and bones that support the teeth. Left untreated, it can cause tooth and permanent bone loss. It is most often caused by poor oral hygiene—inadequate brushing and flossing. When plaque is allowed to remain on the teeth, it hardens into tartar. The overgrowth of plaque and tartar irritates the gums, leading to a mild gum infection called gingivitis. When gingivitis is ignored, the inflamed gums pull away from the tooth surface, creating pockets in which food can become trapped, encouraging more bacterial growth and irritation. The pockets, in turn, provide more spaces in which tartar and plaque accumulate. Without treatment, tooth and bone loss follows. The bacteria involved in periodontitis are also implicated in worsening heart disease, leading to a general worsening of health, not just a crisis of oral health.

Periodontitis Symptoms

• Red, irritated gums
• Bleeding gums
• Gum recession (pulling away)
• Bad breath
• Oozing from the gums
• Loose teeth

Periodontitis Treatment Options

• Improved oral care routine
• Scaling and cleaning
• Antibiotic therapy
• Antimicrobial rinses
• Flap surgery
• Bone grafts
• Gum grafts

Halitosis, the clinical term for bad breath, is a common problem, affecting as many as 25% of the population globally. Halitosis is not necessarily a disease, per se, but can frequently be a symptom of another condition. Bad breath is a concern for people because it is unpleasant and can have negative social consequences. It should be evaluated because it can be an early warning sign of other developing problems. That said, occasional bad breath associated with eating garlic-heavy foods or drinking coffee is no cause for alarm.

Bad Breath Causes

• Poor oral hygiene
• Tobacco use
• Untreated reflux disease
• Dry mouth
• Tonsil stones
• Gum disease
• Untreated infections
• Other systemic medical conditions

Bad Breath Treatment Options

• Improve oral hygiene
• Discontinue tobacco use
• Prevent dry mouth
• Treat underlying infections and other medical conditions
• Short term: sugar-free gum or mouth spray may help relieve symptoms while other problems are being addressed

Although tooth enamel is the hardest substance in the human body, it is not invincible. It is the body’s armor, protecting the vulnerable inner tooth surface from all the chemicals we take into our body in the form of food and drinks. When the enamel starts to wear and show signs of that wear, it is referred to as enamel erosion. Enamel erosion stages can range from mild to severe and can occur on any or all teeth. Cracking, sensitivity, discoloration, rough enamel surface, and pitting and holes are all signs of enamel erosion. Because enamel does not contain living cells to allow it to regenerate itself, it’s vital to address enamel erosion on teeth early to prevent further damage and tooth loss.

Enamel Erosion Causes

• High carbohydrate drinks
• Drinking soda
• Frequent meals
• Grinding teeth
• Chronic acid reflux
• Dry mouth (any cause)

Enamel Erosion Prevention

• Diet/lifestyle changes
• Mouthguard for nighttime grinding
• Treating reflux
• Treating dry mouth

Enamel Erosion Treatment Options

• Remineralizing therapy to repair and preserve existing enamel
• Bonding resin on damaged teeth to repair and improve function Veneers or crowns to restore function to severely eroded teeth

Sensitivity occurs when the tiny tubes, called tubules, that connect the inner layer of the enamel (dentin) to the inside of the tooth where the nerves live (the pulp) are exposed. When an aggravating substance reaches the nerve through the open tubules, it irritates the nerve, resulting in pain. Hot, cold, sweet, and acids can all cause aggravation to sensitive teeth, causing sufferers to have discomfort when eating and drinking or even when breathing in cold air. Thinning enamel, cracks from clenching and grinding, and receding gums are the most common reasons for tooth sensitivity.

Sensitive Teeth Causes

• Clenching and grinding of teeth
• Receding gums, from disease or orthodontic treatment
• Enamel loss
• Untreated cavities

Sensitive Teeth Treatment Options

• Toothpaste with a desensitizing agent
• Toothpaste that helps remineralize enamel
• Bonding of exposed tooth surfaces
• Treating caries

Does radiation affect your teeth? Unfortunately, radiation, though an important tool in treating numerous varieties of cancer, can have some serious and unpleasant side effects that may have a negative impact on oral health. Radiation treatments on the head and neck, in particular, can complicate oral health. In addition to causing sores on gums and in and around the mouth, sometimes the salivary glands are damaged by the radiation, leading to long-term struggles with dry mouth. Radiation can also make healing more difficult if dental surgery is needed following radiation treatment, especially if a tooth needs to be extracted post-treatment. Swelling and lymphedema—a buildup of lymph fluids—also can cause swallowing difficulty and oral pain. Although radiation techniques are improving, bothersome side effects still can cause patients considerable difficulty or discomfort.

Possible Side Effects of Radiation on Teeth

• Red, irritated gums
• Bleeding gums
• Gum recession (pulling away)
• Bad breath
• Oozing from the gums
• Loose teeth

What is plaque and tartar? Plaque is the simple term used to describe the complex biofilm made up of bacteria in the human mouth. It is the sticky substance that clings to the inner surfaces of the mouth, the teeth, and the gums. The human mouth is home to colonies of bacteria, some harmless, some helpful, and some problematic. When bacteria in the mouth join together, they start acting more like a single unit made up of many cells than a set of individual units. This is called a biofilm, which allows bacteria to survive removal efforts better than bacteria not in a biofilm. Plaque that is allowed to grow unchecked and/or are made up of mostly unhealthy bacteria lead to increased cavity formation. Further, when dental plaque is allowed to overgrow, it develops calcium structures and becomes tartar. Tartar, unlike plaque, requires a dental cleaning to remove.

What Causes Tartar and Plaque on Teeth

• Not brushing and flossing
• Eating between meal times
• Frequent meals
• Having a harmful bacteria overgrowth

How to Remove Tartar and Plaque

• Not letting it overgrow in the first place with regular, good oral care habits
• Regular dental cleanings
• Tartar control toothpaste meant to prevent tartar formation (only a dental cleaning can remove tartar once is hardens to the tooth surface)

Autoimmune diseases can complicate dental health and dental care. Some autoimmune diseases—like lupus, Crohn’s disease, and Hashimoto’s thyroid disease—can cause sores in the mouth or difficulty swallowing without directly raising the risk of caries or gum disease. Other autoimmune conditions, like Sjogren’s syndrome or diabetes, significantly raise the risk of oral disease. In Sjogren’s syndrome, the body attacks the glands that make saliva, causing severe dry mouth. Robbed of the protective effects of saliva, teeth are at much greater risk of developing caries (cavities). Diabetes has been shown to raise the risk of gum disease and makes gum disease harder to treat when it becomes established. Dental professionals should be made aware of any chronic conditions, especially autoimmune diseases and dental problems, to enable them to provide the best care for their patients.

Autoimmune Diseases That Can Increase Risk of Mouth Sores

• Crohn’s disease, a disease of the digestive tract
• Lupus, a systemic disease
• Psoriasis, a skin disease that rarely causes mouth sores, Celiac disease, a digestive disease

Autoimmune Diseases That Can Increase Risk of Caries or Gum Disease

• Sjogren’s syndrome, a disease where the body attacks salivary glands and tear ducts, increasing caries risk through dry mouth
• Type 1 diabetes, a disease where the body attacks the pancreas, making blood sugar regulation difficult, increasing the incidence of gum disease and making it harder to treat
• Celiac disease, a digestive disease where the body cannot process gluten, is associated with poorly formed enamel and increased caries risk

The study of genetics and oral health is an emerging field. More than just determining eye color and hair curliness, genetics determines a wide range of traits that can positively or negatively influence a person’s health. The conditions amelogenesis imperfecta, where the tooth enamel (outermost layer of the tooth) fails to develop properly, and dentinogenesis imperfecta, where the dentin (inner layer of the tooth) develop improperly, are both genetic conditions caused by specific gene mutations. Gene mutations on the LYZL2 gene will cause decay only in lower front teeth, the teeth which usually are the most decay-resistant. There are also gene mutations that affect saliva production and protein formation that can make teeth more likely to develop problems and make those problems more difficult to treat. Studying genetic disorders that affect teeth might help dentists more effectively prevent common dental conditions in the future.

Cosmetic dentistry covers a broad range of services and treatments that dentist can perform whose primary benefit is cosmetic—that is to say, they make your teeth or smile look more attractive. Cosmetic dental services can be simple and fairly non-invasive, like tooth whitening. Other cosmetic dental work can be much more involved and permanent like veneers, in which the surface of each tooth is shaped and a thin porcelain strip is permanently attached to the prepared tooth fronts, allowing a complete transformation of the smile. It’s important to remember that although there is a marked cosmetic improvement, some of the cosmetic dental procedures can also improve the tooth’s daily function and are restorative as well as cosmetic. Also, since the smile is so important to social perception and can greatly influence self-perception and self-esteem, cosmetic dental treatment can have a considerable positive impact on daily life.

Common Cosmetic Dental Problems

• Discolored teeth
• Chipped teeth
• Crooked teeth
• Teeth gaps
• Stained tooth

Common Cosmetic Dental Procedures

• Tooth whitening
• Bonding
• Crowns/inlays/onlays,
• Veneers
• Tooth/enamel shaping
• Orthodontics