Family Dentistry
Early tooth development, tooth decay and the dental examination.
Early tooth development occurs in the jaw bone away from the mouth. Once the tooth is 90% developed it emerges into the mouth. At this stage the tooth is not fully formed and is immature. The last stage of maturation occurs whilst the tooth is bathed in natural neutral saliva.
The deciduous “milk teeth” emerge into the mouth from the age of 6 months to 36 months and are slowly replaced by the permanent “adult” teeth from the age of 6 years to approximately 16 years. During this time the teeth need to be bathed in natural neutral saliva to achieve final maturation.
Tooth decay is a complex multi factorial process and there are only a few features that we can control. Research shows that individuals with diets that are rich in refined carbohydrates and acids coupled with poor oral hygiene demonstrate more tooth break down.
What we believe happens is that at a stage of tooth development when teeth need to be bathed in neutral saliva, they are actually bathed in sugar rich acidic saliva. This prevents the teeth from achieving their final maturation.
The natural state of the saliva is neutral, which acts to protect the teeth. Once food of any type is placed into the mouth acidic saliva is produced from different glands. This acidity is to aid the initial breakdown of the food and the commencement of digestion. The acidity in the mouth remains for 45 minutes before it returns to the neutral protective state. Teeth can become soft and decayed in the absence of any added sugars or acids. However, we see more decay in those individuals who demonstrate a sugar / acid rich diet.
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