香港醫藥援助會 Project Concern Hong Kong


Tooth Decay


What is tooth decay?
Tooth decay results from the infection with bacteria in our teeth. If it continues, the enamel in the surface of our teeth will be weakened and destroyed and forming a cavity as seen from the picture below. 

 

Tooth decay results from the infection with bacteria in our teeth. If it continues, the enamel in the surface of our teeth will be weakened and destroyed and forming a cavity

Causes of tooth decay:
Different types of bacteria growing on the surface of our mouth forms dental plaque. When we eat or drink something with sugar or starch, the bacteria will produce acid, and gradually destroys the enamel, result in tooth decay. People with tooth decay feel pain, difficult in chewing and even uncomfortable in daily life. If the problem cannot be discovered on time, we may need to extract the affected teeth as a result.


Prevention:

  • Develop a good eating habit, eat fewer snacks between meals
  • Eat more food that contains rich iodine and calcium, e.g. seafood which benefit the growth of tooth
  • Use toothpastes that contain fluorine
  • Check the teeth and adopt teeth scaling regularly

 

Treatment:

  • Tooth filling
  • Endodontic (Pulp) Treatment
  • Tooth extraction