What causes tooth decay and why?

I remember my microbiology teacher stating that sucrose causes tooth decay due to the bacteria using glucose to attach to teeth and fructose to make acidic residue. But separate glucose and fructose can not make tooth decay, the bacteria need the sucrose chain.

How about high fructose corn syrup and all the other stuff like that we eat? What causes tooth decay and why? I know that in some people a lot of damage can be done in short term and some people are lucky to be resistant to the damage. My SO has had maybe a cavity in his thirty years of life and he isn't exactly anal about his teeth. Contrast that to my friend who is totally anal about her teeth and had a cavity in many of her teeth.

So what not to eat to take better health of our teeth other than sucrose? Brushing your teeth is an obvious one that doesn't need to be mentioned in case someone feels the need to do that .

This is one that strikes me: most people don't think of what drinking BLACK LIQUID (aka colas) does to their teeth. Every person I know that has really bad teeth drinks sodas everyday.

Here's a short list of things I'd consider to be horrible for your teeth:

soda
smoking
not brushing your teeth
excessive alcohol use / drug use (oral drugs, obviously)
eating too many refined sugars

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good tooth health comes from keeping your internal body functioning well. This includes staying alkaline and mineralized.

acid that is produced from bacteria that multiply when given sugars as a nutrient source.

One overlooked cause is bruxism/ teethgrinding. Which totally destroyed my teeth until I got a protector.

And bad brushing techniks, one good brush a day including toothpicks and or floss should prevent decay according to my dentist. Though you should keep yourself on guard with the tablets.

I have an autoimmune disorder which limits the amount of saliva I produce, which leds to decreased number of good bacteria in your mouth. I have always had a good regime of brushing and flossing as well as a good diet, but still have teeth issues. Not only cavities but also root canals and broken teeth. I have probably spent 20 grand on my teeth including braces.

^ $20k on your teeth?

Tooth decay is from stuff decaying on your teeth, generally in between them. I think the bottom line is going to be keeping teeth clean no matter what.

TINK said:

I have an autoimmune disorder which limits the amount of saliva I produce, which leds to decreased number of good bacteria in your mouth. I have always had a good regime of brushing and flossing as well as a good diet, but still have teeth issues. Not only cavities but also root canals and broken teeth. I have probably spent 20 grand on my teeth including braces.

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How can you afford 20 grand on your teeth?! Over how many years?

I have good strong white teeth, but the front two cross over ever so slightly and I want to get Invisalign. Most people say they cant even notice it, but I know its there and it makes me self-conscious as fuck ... The treatment I would like csots a few grand, but I cant jst cough that up. Im trying to think how to afford it....do you guys in the states just get treatment and thats what you pay your insurance for, so you dont need to pay it up front? Im completely clueless with these things...

attempt4 said:

I have good strong white teeth, but the front two cross over ever so slightly and I want to get Invisalign. Most people say they cant even notice it, but I know its there and it makes me self-conscious as fuck ... The treatment I would like csots a few grand, but I cant jst cough that up. Im trying to think how to afford it....do you guys in the states just get treatment and thats what you pay your insurance for, so you dont need to pay it up front? Im completely clueless with these things...

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Braces cost a lot in the states--Or at least they did fifteen years ago. When I got braces (and had them for eight years), my mom worked out a payment plan with the orthodontist. Dental insurance didn't cover any of it since it's "cosmetic."

Just asked my mom how much it cost. She said the first round (braces on top teeth only) was $2800 and the second was $4700 (top and bottom braces).

That doesn't include the cost of retainers (which I still have to wear to this day or else my teeth will shift) or headgear (that I wore for awhile then quit wearing).

20 grand over my entire lifetime. And I am still having to have work done. Had 4 of my regular teeth pulled, my wisdom had to surgically removed, I have 8crowns, all 4 of my front teeth got infected all at the sametime and the infection when into the fatty tissue in my face and I was hospilized for a week. Had to have 2 rounds of orthodontics which was a total of almost 6 years. I have fillings that are probably older than most people on this board. I am in the process of replacing the silver fillings with porcelain inlays and having the old crowns sawed off and new ones put on that don't contain toxic metals that they used back then. There were many times that I did not have dental insurance. Right now I have it so I spend 1500 bucks every year. And in the US dentist are not cheap. Just in the past 3 years I have spent 4500 bucks replacing the work that was done in my youth.

As far as the insurance goes in the US, it depends on your employer. Some have crappy dental coverage, actually every job I have ever had, had crappy dental coverage. The company I work for now has the best coverage I have ever gotten.

other things to consider:
Acidic foods that will directly erode the enamal of your teeth.
Abrasive toothpastes that will cause mechanical degradation of your teeth.
Anything that causes dry mouth... drugs/medication.. illness.. or simple dehydration like in a hot enviroment.
Gross mechanical trauma that breaks or dislodges teeth... like a punch in the face or a hockey puck.