LIVE Magazine #270 May 10, 2018

DESERT DENTAL
ALTERNATIVES
Bruno Lemay, DMD
acid to decalcify the tooth. It is called dental
plaque and it forms very quick after eating.
The better hygiene a person has, the less
they will have decay. It takes both sugar and
plaque to decay a tooth. The more you brush
and floss, the more plaque removed and the
less risk of decay.
Additionally, elderly patients also tend to have
more decay. It is more obvious with elderly
patients who are loosing their dexterity, and
in general they tend to eat more sweets more
often, and not brush as often.
There is also another component that needs
to be explained here. In the mouth there are
several types of bacteria. Some are responsible
for gum disease and some are responsible
for decay. Some people may have the best
hygiene and still have gum disease and some
who have the worst hygiene may not suffer
from gum disease at all. This is because they
do not have the bacteria responsible for gum
disease. Same thing for decay. Some people
will be more susceptible to decay then others
even if they eat just a little sugar and have
decent dental hygiene. That is because they
have that kind of bacteria in their mouth in a
higher rate then another person. But that is
not a reasonable excuse. More brushing
and plaque control with a topical fluoride
application daily, preferably with a special
personal tray made at the dental office will
help.
Very rarely a person will suffer from gum
disease and a high rate of decay. It is
generally one or the other. If someone has
a high rate of decay, in general they will
not suffer from gum disease like bone loss,
periodontal pockets and tooth mobility.
It is a proven fact though, that the better
the dental hygiene you have and the better
your diet is in terms of limiting sugar intake,
the healthier your gums and teeth will be.
So, it is not true that decay affect only
kids. As long as you have one tooth in your
mouth you are subject to get decay if you
leave dental plaque on it and eat sugar!
The best way to prevent that is to have
good dental hygiene at home and brushing
after any sugar intake, and to visit your
dentist 2 to 3 times a year.
Dr. Bruno Lemay
Do you think that dental cavities are
problems only for children?
It is a general belief that cavities are for kids
only. But in fact, cavities affect all ages!
The reason why cavities are more prevalent
in children is mainly the fact that they tend
to eat more sugar and have poor hygiene
habits. However, when looking at the cause
of decay, which is basically plaque with the
presence of sugar, it is easy to understand
that cavities can happen at any age even if
your mouth is full of crowns.
Of course there are some people who have
teeth that are softer then others and are
easier to decay but that affects only 1% of
the population. Basically any diet rich in
sugar will increase your chance of decay.
Soft drinks, candies and anything sweet
will have a potency to create decay in the
presence of dental plaque. Of course in
order to create decay there has to be the
bacteria that will transfer the sugar into
Dr.
Bruno
LEMAY
760- 324-4450
www.LemayDental.com
www.facebook.com/DesertDentalAlternatives
69450 Ramon Road Cathedral City, CA 92234