BUSH TELEGRAPH

Ask the Doctor
Helena Pieterse
BDS (Wits) MSC (Wits)
LOVING YOUR SMILE
What a privilege it is to be able to
smile with confidence in 2015 – our
grandparents were not as fortunate!!
With the latest skills and technology
dental disease is totally preventable.
Children’s teeth
Prevention is the cure. This is where it all
starts. Although all the deciduous(baby)
teeth are lost they lay the foundation for
the adult smile. It is so important to clean
children’s teeth on a daily basis. Flossing is
also necessary. There are special milk teeth
toothpastes available with the correct amount
of fluoride that strengthens the teeth. Xylitol
gel is an excellent toothpaste as Xylitol(a
sugar) provides a pleasant taste whilst not
feeding the oral bacteria and is a natural
product.
Wiping the teeth with a facecloth before
brushing greatly assists to remove the protein
pellicle that allows bacteria to adhere to the
teeth. The pellicle is a sticky film of protein
that coats the teeth soon after a thorough
brushing! An electric toothbrush makes the
cleaning more effective and can be lots of
fun. There are also cute animal shaped floss
holders available to promote a flossing habit.
Regular visits to the dentist from the age of 3
is recommended.
Adult teeth
We all have bacteria in our mouths. They are
found in saliva and stick to the pellicle which
coats not only the teeth but all surfaces in the
mouth. Bacteria, dead cells, food debris and
the pellicle are what constitutes plaque. These
bacteria feed on the carbohydrates(sugars) in
our diet. All digestable carbohydrates can be
broken down into a simple sugar. Bacteria
digest 6 carbon sugars into simpler sugars
and the waste product is an acid. The same
process happens in the fermentation of wine
to vinegar. This acid demineralizes the tooth
enamel and allows the bacteria to penetrate
into the teeth and cause tooth decay.
To have healthy teeth the production of this
acid has to be reduced by decreasing the
number of bacteria and the sugar intake.
Reducing the bacterial load
Manually
The pellicle (or biofilm) forms a sticky layer
on the teeth which the bacteria colonises.
The biofilm contains dead cells from the
mucosa(skin) lining the cheeks, gums, palate
and tongue. These cells are shed just like
skin cells every day. This becomes food for
bacteria and is the reason one’s breath is not
as fresh as you would like in the morning. It
takes 24 hours for enough acid to be produced
to cause damage.
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