Bacteria team up to attack your teeth

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Bacteria (9/14/09)

Bacteria team up to attack your teeth (9/14/2009)

Dr Reitz
I am 16 years old, and every time I go to the dentist new cavities are found. I probably have at least 10 teeth with fillings. My older brother eats more junk and drinks more soda in a day than I do in a month. After my last visit, the dentist prescribed a fluoride toothpaste, and told me to brush and floss more often. Is there anything else I can do to prevent another shot of Novocain at my next visit?
Ned R

Dear Ned
The discovery of fluoride in the early part of the 20th century was thought to be the end of tooth decay. This mineral found in rocks is the reason some people have never had a filling , however we have come to discover that a villain, right out of a horror movie, named Biofilm, is still at work causing cavities.

Biofilm is actually the new name of what was formally plaque. It acquired the new name because we have come to understand that instead of random bacteria growing on your teeth, various compatible bacteria join together, and become a larger organism living in a symbiotic relationship wreaking havoc on unsuspecting teeth. Unfortunately what we haven't determined is why you were the victim of Biofilm and your brother was not.

I often tell my patients that each mouth is like a fish tank. Some are free of disease and have healthy fish; others harbor bacteria and constantly need medications to treat the disease. So, the question you need to ask is how can I get my mouth to be healthy so my teeth don't decay.

One thing you can do is to use the higher concentration fluoride tooth paste your dentist prescribed. Fluoride in the teeth makes it more difficult to remove the calcium, which is how a cavity gets started. Next you can look for products that have the ingredient "amorphous calcium phosphate" (ACP). It is termed Liquid Calcium in some toothpaste and Recaldent in some chewing gum.

ACP adds calcium to the teeth in a form that is easily drawn into the surface of the tooth. After a few months of using ACP, previously rough tooth surfaces look shiny, hard and smooth. With the recent discovery that calcium in soluble from is absorbed into the teeth, you will see more products on the market to make your teeth stronger.

Finally, it is important to limit carbohydrate intake until your mouth becomes healthy and free of tooth decay for at least two full years. Your change in diet, and more time brushing and flossing, will allow you to keep your teeth for as long as your brother.

John V. Reitz, D.D.S., F.A.G.D.
Signature Dental Care
30 Commerce Drive
Wyomissing, PA 19610
Phone: 610-320-9993
E-mail: jreitz@reitzdds.com