Ogden Dentist Video #18:
What is Tooth Decay?
In this video, Dr. Jim Ellis, DDS (a dentist in Ogden, Utah) explains what a tooth decay is.
Alright, people are going to be a little grossed out by tooth decay, because what tooth decay actually is that there are bacteria in your mouth. You’ll never get the bacteria out no matter what you do, and that’s okay. There are bacteria all over our body. There are bacteria in our digestive system and we need them. The bacteria in the mouth, however, live off of sugars.
Sugars are in everything. Apples, bread, you name it, as well as candy and soda, of course. But the bacteria will eat the sugar, digest the sugar, and the byproduct of bacteria is acid. And that is what eats the teeth. The acid, which is the byproduct of bacteria, is what will dig holes into your teeth and cause decay and cause the bacteria to then be able to get even further into your teeth, which will make them even harder to get out. So, it’s really the acid from the bacteria in your mouth. The way you stop it, is to:
- Make sure that the bacteria don’t have anything to eat.
- Make sure that you are brushing and flossing as often as possible.
- Keeping all of the food and sugars out of your mouth will prevent the bacteria from having anything to digest and consume and then they can’t make any byproduct and your teeth will be better off.
Hopefully, this video has answered your question. If you have any other questions, we have a whole library of videos. If there is something that you have that hasn’t been answered, you can feel free to give me a call at (801) 783-3490. Thank you so much and have a good day.
Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=okQ1y5itkUY
