Dental caries is the scientific term for tooth decay. Plaque, which builds up on the tooth, is food for bacteria that produces acid and destroys tooth enamel. In a 2010 global study, untreated dental caries was the most common of 291 major diseases and injuries, affecting 35 percent of the world population.
Contrary to popular belief, tooth decay does not begin with a cavity; rather a cavity is created later on in the process, as the tooth’s dentin and enamel break down. Enamel is the hardest substance in the body and protects the inner layers of the teeth. If it is destroyed, your body cannot produce more to replace it, as enamel does not contain living cells. Consequently, protecting the enamel on your teeth is vital for preventing tooth decay and pain.
Oral hygiene
Maintaining a healthy mouth is the first step to preventing most dental problems. Brush the teeth for at least two minutes, twice a day, with fluoridated toothpaste.
Fluoride is a naturally occurring mineral and works effectively to prevent tooth decay by strengthening the tooth enamel, which has been weakened by acid (from bacteria and/or food and drinks).
Along with daily flossing, cutting back on sugary foods and drinks that attack tooth enamel, and drinking water after meals can help to decrease the risk of tooth decay and gum disease.
An early tooth decay, which is not a cavity yet, but rather a demineralization of the enamel is called a White Spot Lesion. Once this has manifested, additional fluoridation does not show a significant benefit. Most dentists might ‘wait and see’ and then ‘drill and fill’.
Drill and fill
If an early caries hasn’t been treated, then a ‘drilling and filling’ procedure is very likely to be necessary. The process includes removing the decayed tooth material, cleaning the affected area and finally, filling the cavity. Fillings close off the spaces where bacteria enter, preventing further decay to the tooth.
A filling has a limited lifetime and additional fillings will eventually lead to tooth loss. Because of this, it would be much better to prevent the development from early decay to cavity.
A new treatment without drilling
As we develop an improved understanding of dental caries, dentistry is moving away from traditional mechanical methods, to a more modern minimally invasive, or even non-invasive, medical approach.
For example, a new technology that has been discovered at the University of Leeds to remineralize and re-harden teeth damaged by early tooth decay. The technology’s development was guided by the process of human tooth growth, where matrix-forming molecules (amelogenin proteins) work to direct the mineralization of enamel. Baptised CUROLOX® TECHNOLOGY by its’ Swiss developers, it mimics this natural process to form a three-dimensional biomatrix, which replicates the natural remineralisation-process.
In the form of CURODONT REPAIR—a product that uses this technology—this non-invasive, minimal intervention provides dental professionals with a tool to target tooth decay, without a drill. It is applied to a clean, open-pored lesion to enable the regeneration of tooth tissue. Diffused into a lesion, the matrix serves as a nucleation point for new dental tissue to form over the next few weeks, with the minerals occurring in one’s saliva.
Several clinical studies have proven the efficacy of CURODONT REPAIR. It is easy to use and can be applied by every professional, making it a great new opportunity for preventing cavities and maintaining a healthy mouth.
CURODONT REPAIR has been well researched and marketed in Switzerland since 2012. Now available to dental professionals in the U.K by Credentis and Straumann.
Other products using the CUROLOX® TECHNOLOGY to protect and desensitize your teeth are also available over the counter and can be purchased online. Find out more at https://www.curodont.com
