Teeth are small, white structures found in the the human mouth. They are used for breakdown of food in humans, in animals teeth are also used for hunting purposes. Teeth aren’t made of bone, rather many layers of calcified tissues. Gums cover the root of the teeth. They are one of the most long lasting parts of the body; scientists even use teeth of fossils to identify the species. There are different types of teeth in the human mouth, namely molars, pre molars, incisors and canines and they have different functions. Molars are used for chewing and grinding, where as the other two are useful for tearing food. Humans develop 2 set of teeth in their life, the first are known as baby teeth that start to appear at six months of age, they are later replaced by permanent teeth.
1. Plaque and tooth decay
From time to time layer of various bacteria forms on the teeth, this is known plaque. If this layer is not removed regularly it can lead to dental cavities and other dental problems.
Most bacteria in the mouth live on remains of food, especially sugars. They produce lactic acid in the mouth which causes tooth destruction by dissolving the calcium and phosphorous in the teeth. Saliva in the mouth eventually neutralizes the PH in mouth by reducing mouth acidity, causing to dissolved minerals to reform, so if there is enough time between the intake of foods then the impact is limited and the teeth can repair themselves. However, the teeth covered by plaque can’t be repaired as saliva cannot penetrate through the layer of bacteria. Such bacteria then cause dental cavities or tooth decay which damages the structure of the teeth. It leads to pain in teeth, tooth loss and infection.
Today, dental cavities remain one of the most common diseases throughout the world. Many methods can be used to restore teeth to their proper function and for. However, there is no known way to redevelop large amounts of tooth structure.