The tooth is crumbling - what to do? Crumpling teeth: causes and treatment. The main reasons leading to the destruction of permanent and primary teeth


Teeth play a special role in the life of every person. With their help, we chew food and pronounce words clearly and clearly. Besides, healthy teeth are an integral part of a beautiful smile.

Almost every person faces a dental problem. One of the most unpleasant is their destruction, when they break, crumble, collapse, crumble, fall apart into small and large pieces. If you postpone the problem until later, then it will not be easy to fix everything. To maintain a beautiful and healthy smile, you need to understand why it deteriorated. tooth enamel, or rather her condition.

Why do teeth start to decay?

There is no single answer to the question of why adults’ teeth break. Teeth crumbling can occur due to decreased immunity, as well as through exacerbation of many diseases, for example, diabetes, arthritis, and problems with the thyroid gland. Stress also plays an important role in this destructive process, but that’s not all. One of the main reasons why teeth crumble is a lack of calcium in the body. Women especially feel this during the period of bearing a child, when the baby takes calcium from the mother’s body for its growth and development. Mechanical damage, nicotine, hot and cold food, products with high content carbohydrates and sugar - as a result of all this, the destruction of both permanent and baby teeth can begin.

Hormonal disorders

Quite often, tooth decay is observed during changes hormonal levels, namely in women during menopause, or carrying a child, in adolescents during their puberty. This problem can also affect those people who have problems with the thyroid gland. During this period, teeth are destroyed beyond recognition.

Pregnancy and postpartum period

The most difficult thing is for pregnant women whose fang, molar or incisor has crumbled. It needs to be treated only under anesthesia, but it is very harmful for the unborn child. Pregnancy is generally considered the most common reason why women's teeth fall apart. Almost everyone is familiar with this problem. expectant mother carrying a child under her heart. The baby, while in the womb, grows and develops, and for this it needs a lot of calcium, the only source of which is the mother’s body. To skeletal system did not suffer much, the pregnant woman should regularly take calcium tablets, consume milk, cottage cheese and cheese. They will help replenish the deficiency of this essential mineral for her body.

After childbirth, dental problems do not end. A woman’s body bears a heavy load during pregnancy, and then during the period of feeding the baby. The fact that teeth begin to crumble even after childbirth. - a very common phenomenon.


Lack of micro- and macroelements

If human body feels a lack of any macro or microelements (for example, Ca, F, Mg), or their normal absorption is impaired, then this may well be the reason why tooth enamel is destroyed. Calcium, phosphorus and fluorine should always be in sufficient quantities in the body, because they are responsible for the formation of bone tissue. If saliva contains little calcium, this can lead to the destruction of even the strongest teeth.

Vitamin D is also involved in this process, but in addition it also promotes the absorption of calcium in the body. The solution to the problem of lack of micro- and macroelements will be the introduction of foods containing them into the diet (for example, fish, cauliflower, sesame, legumes, seaweed, milk, cottage cheese, beets, carrots and other products containing calcium), long walks on fresh air under the sun.

Stress

IN stressful situations The body produces an excess of the hormone cortisol, which depletes the immune system, making the body vulnerable to various types of infections and diseases. These include dental problems.

People, experiencing severe emotional shock during stress, clench their jaws, begin to smoke more, drink alcohol, eat a lot of sweets and take medicines. It all makes it worse general state teeth, leading to their destruction.

Other reasons

In addition to the above reasons for tooth decay, there are many others. Among them:

What to do to strengthen your teeth?

This article talks about typical ways to solve your issues, but each case is unique! If you want to find out from me how to solve your particular problem, ask your question. It's fast and free!

To prevent tooth decay, visits to the dentist alone will not be enough. You still need to eat and eat right synthetic vitamins. Thanks to this, the body will be provided with all the useful substances that will strengthen the teeth and prevent them from breaking.

The vitamin complex is prescribed by a doctor, but only after a thorough examination oral cavity and establishing a true diagnosis.

Balanced diet

Nutrition plays a big role important role for teeth. In the case of incorrectly selected products, problems may begin with the teeth and they will gradually crumble. To avoid this you must:


Vitamins

If the body does not have enough calcium or vitamin D, for example, this can negatively affect the immune system, causing tooth enamel to begin to chip. These beneficial substances may not enter the body either due to an incorrectly formulated diet or due to their poor absorption. For determining true reasons it is necessary to undergo special tests. They must be prescribed by a doctor. The appointment will depend on the results obtained. Basically, this is a complex of vitamins or drugs that help calcium to be absorbed in the body.

To strengthen your immune system and improve the condition of your teeth, it is enough to drink complex vitamins with calcium, vitamin D and fluoride twice a year, eat more fresh fruits and vegetables, and get out in the sun more often. There is another delicious one useful way strengthen not only the teeth, but the entire body as a whole - this is honey in a honeycomb that needs to be chewed.

Despite advances in dentistry, tooth decay is common. The incidence increases in age groups due to poor diet, deficiency of vitamins and microelements, poor oral hygiene and other reasons.

This problem is psychological in nature. Rapid tooth decay disturbs balance, reduces self-confidence and interferes with social activities.

Causes of tooth decay

The surface of the tooth is covered with a hard substance called enamel. It consists of calcium, phosphorus and organic matter, whose molecules are tightly connected to each other.

When the integrity of the enamel is damaged, bacteria and acids penetrate the dentin and destroy it. This leads to abrasion and chipping of tooth particles. Although enamel is considered a hard substance of the body, external and internal environment reduce its strength.

Types of tooth decay are determined by etiology:

    Caries. The basis of carious destruction of tooth enamel is an imbalance of acids and alkalis in the oral cavity and the active proliferation of bacteria. Under the influence of acids and microbial waste products, the enamel becomes thinner, and the tooth slowly and imperceptibly deteriorates.

    Traumatic dental damage from a blow or fall. Mechanical trauma to the tooth is one of the reasons for the chipping of enamel particles and the formation of microcracks.

    Lack of vitamins and microelements. With insufficient intake of calcium, phosphorus, B vitamins into the body, ascorbic acid- the enamel becomes thinner, the blood supply to the gums is disrupted. The likelihood of inflammatory processes and dental caries increases.

    Sugar consumption. Fast carbohydrates, especially sucrose, are broken down in the oral cavity, which leads to a decrease in acidity and an increase in the activity of microorganisms.

    Insufficient oral hygiene. Poor hygiene leads to the accumulation of food particles and the formation of plaque. This causes increased acidity in the mouth, inflammation of the gums and leads to tooth decay.

    Eating food at contrasting temperatures. Due to the consumption of first hot and then very cold food, for example, coffee with ice cream, the enamel becomes covered with microcracks, quickly darkens and collapses.

    Insufficient amount of saliva. Saliva contains calcium and trace elements to restore enamel, in addition, this substance washes away food debris. With a lack of saliva, the tooth becomes brittle and breaks quickly. Inflammation salivary glands due to stones in the ducts or systemic diseases leads to a change in the properties of saliva and a decrease in its quantity. The amount of saliva also decreases with smoking and drinking alcohol.

    Endocrine disorders. The properties of enamel change when the functioning of the gonads in women is disrupted. A decrease in the amount of estrogen during perimenopause leads to the leaching of calcium from bones and teeth. During pregnancy, thinning of the enamel also occurs.

    Heredity. The structure of enamel is determined by genes, and if parents had oral diseases, then the likelihood of a similar pathology in children increases many times over.

    Taking medications. Chemotherapy causes thinning and then complete destruction of the enamel.

    Anomalies of teeth and bite. An incorrect bite leads to uneven distribution of the load on the cutting surface of the teeth, resulting in microcracks.

The clinic depends on the type of tooth decay. Microcracks in the enamel are characterized by an increase in tooth sensitivity to thermal and chemical irritants. When eating too cold, hot, too sweet, salty or sour food, pain occurs. The pain is usually acute, paroxysmal, and goes away within 20-30 seconds.

Tooth decay is accompanied unpleasant smell from the mouth, gum inflammation and constant painful sensations. Once the nerves are involved, the pain begins to radiate to the ear or eye. Destruction of the tooth crown manifests itself in the form of darkening, since dentin is much darker than enamel.

While eating, a painful attack occurs due to the chipping of part of the crown.

Treatment of tooth decay

Treatment of the pathology depends on the cause of tooth decay and the extent of the damage. A huge number of techniques have been developed to restore the lost part of the tooth and slow down the progression of the destruction process.

The destruction of the crown part of the tooth is corrected with the help of veneers - special ceramic plates. These plates are made individually using an impression of the teeth, and then the veneers are firmly fixed to the defect. This method is ideal for restoring front teeth.

Filling tooth cavities is gradually being replaced by the use of inlays, which are also made from an impression of the destroyed tooth. The material fills the entire defect, which helps restore the shape and function of the tooth.

In case of extensive damage, a lost tooth can be restored using prosthetics.

Even slight destruction of part of the tooth leads to gradual washing out of dentin and an increase in the defect. Effective way To prevent this, timely contact a specialist. Attention should be paid to oral hygiene and proper nutrition. Quitting smoking and alcohol will also preserve the integrity of the enamel.

The quality of teeth in the human oral cavity affects the digestive processes. The processing of food in the following sections will depend on the performance of the chewing function gastrointestinal tract. Dental problems affect not only the aesthetic appearance, but also the quality of chewing food. So, you noticed that the tooth is crumbling. What to do in such a situation? Let's figure this out together and also find possible ways solving the problem.

general information

The top of the tooth is covered with a layer of enamel, which gives it not only smoothness, but also hardness. Beneath it is dentin, the hardest substance in the human body. The peculiarity of these two components is their inability to recover after damage. If a tooth begins to crumble, it is almost impossible to stop the process. You'll have to visit the dentist.

Each person's enamel and dentin also have individual characteristics. Therefore, it happens that the destruction process leads to the breaking off of entire pieces. Jagged edges teeth can lead to injury to the tongue and mucous membranes. Often develop inflammatory processes.

Teeth crumble: reasons

Similar problems arise not only in adults, but also in children. However, the causes of pathologies may differ. Before asking the question about when a tooth crumbles, what to do, you need to understand the reason. The following factors can provoke this process in adults:

  1. Hormonal disorders in the body. The risk group includes pregnant women, patients old age. Increasing the acidity of saliva leads to the destruction of enamel.
  2. If your teeth are crumbling, the reason may lie in proper nutrition. A large number of semi-finished products in the diet, frozen fruits and vegetables disrupt intestinal function. And this negatively affects the condition of the teeth. The love of coffee with ice cream is generally detrimental to enamel. Indeed, in this case, simultaneous exposure to cold and hot temperature occurs.
  3. Mechanical damage to teeth. It can occur when opening bottles with your teeth. The same “result” is obtained when biting nuts. Grinding your teeth at night can also lead to the destruction of enamel. It's important to know about this.
  4. Crumpling teeth can be a consequence the following pathologies: diabetes, disruptions in work thyroid gland, arthritis.
  5. Poor or lack of oral care .
  6. Lack of vitamins, especially vitamin D.
  7. Caries. It is very important to have pathology treated by a competent dentist. A poorly cleaned tooth with a filling will lead to destruction after some time.
  8. Having an incorrect bite.
  9. Drinking tap water containing harmful microelements.

The presence of several provoking factors accelerates tooth decay.

How to help children

We examined why an adult’s teeth crumble. The causes of pathology in children may differ slightly. These include:

  • Lack of vitamins and minerals.
  • A diet lacking calcium, phosphorus and other microelements and vitamins during pregnancy. This affects the quality of the developing teeth in the fetus.
  • Heredity. Poor quality enamel can be inherited. If parents’ teeth begin to decay early, then it is worth paying closer attention to the child’s oral cavity.
  • Bad habits: thumb sucking, nail biting, eating unwashed vegetables and fruits.
  • Excess of sweets, baked goods, and foods with preservatives deplete the diet of vitamins and minerals, which leads to tooth decay.

  • Inadequate oral care. Parents should teach their child to brush their teeth correctly and ensure that the procedure is carried out in the morning and evening.
  • Broken bite. Dental disorder in childhood lends itself well to correction. Don't let the problem take its course.

The danger of tooth decay in children

If a child’s teeth begin to decay, then this should not be ignored. You need to visit a dentist. In childhood, crumbling of enamel is doubly dangerous, since disruption of the process of chewing food will result in a disorder of metabolic processes. IN children's body everything can lead to vitamin deficiency.

A visit to the dentist will help find out the cause of this condition. This will save the child from having problems in the future.

How to help at home with crumbling teeth

If a piece of enamel breaks off from a tooth, then you should rush to the dentist before an infection gets inside. It will provoke the development of an inflammatory process, which can result in tooth loss.

If the damage is severe, the nerve may become exposed, causing pain. If it is not possible to immediately visit a doctor, then you can take the following measures that will alleviate the condition:

  • With strong pain syndrome you can take Nurofen or Ketanov.
  • To avoid infection, you must frequently rinse your mouth with a salt solution: a teaspoon of salt per glass of water.

  • To prevent food from getting inside the tooth, you can seal the hole with chewing gum.

All of the above measures do not replace a visit to the dentist. These are only temporary measures to alleviate the condition.

Treatment

Is your wisdom tooth or any other tooth crumbling? Then we go to the doctor. He may suggest the following measures:

  1. Mineralization. Applications are made to the damaged areas to saturate the tooth tissue with fluoride and calcium. The duration of treatment is determined taking into account the severity of the pathology.
  2. Coating the enamel with a special varnish. It increases strength due to the formation of a protective film on top.
  3. Extensive damage can be repaired with filling.
  4. Artificial crowns and veneers can be used when a tooth is 80% damaged.

In each case, the dentist chooses individual program treatment.

Restoring a damaged tooth

Let's consider another method, which is the most gentle. We are talking about restorative therapy. It consists of several stages:

  1. A course of fluoride-containing medications. Your doctor may prescribe the use of natural products containing this element: fish, liver, nuts, dairy products.
  2. Vitamins to strengthen teeth. The complex must contain vitamins E and D.
  3. Rinsing the mouth with strengthening infusions and herbal mixtures.
  4. Fluoridation using medicinal pastes.

An integrated approach to treatment will help cope with the problem of crumbling teeth.

We provide assistance to the child

When such a problem occurs to a child, the first step is to establish the cause. The child's tooth is crumbling. What to do? First of all, visit a dentist, who will most likely offer the following treatment program:

  • Strengthening enamel with the help of therapeutic and prophylactic pastes.
  • At the initial stage of destruction, the use of fluoride varnish is effective. The film will help maintain the integrity of the tooth.
  • Limit your consumption of sweets, it is better to replace them with fruits.
  • Make sure that the child does not put objects into his mouth that can injure his teeth.
  • Add foods rich in minerals and vitamins to the diet if your child’s teeth are crumbling.
  • Teach your child to properly care for the oral cavity.
  • Visit your dentist regularly to identify problems and correct them.

The task of parents is to monitor the condition of the baby’s teeth. This will avoid more serious problems in future.

Products good for teeth

We have been told all the time since childhood that sweets in large quantities are harmful not only to the figure, but also to the condition of the enamel. Then a reasonable question arises: “What foods are good for teeth?” Below is a list of them:

  1. Water. It turns out that this liquid is a source of fluoride entering the body. Drinking water cleanses teeth by washing away food debris and plaque.
  2. Vegetables and fruits are not only a source of vitamins and minerals, but also the process of chewing them strengthens the gums and improves blood circulation in the oral cavity.
  3. Nuts and seeds contain fatty acids, phosphorus and calcium essential for dental health.
  4. Citrus fruits are rich in vitamin C, which strengthens gums.
  5. Seaweeds, such as seaweed. They contain iodine, which is necessary for the normal functioning of the thyroid gland. The condition of the whole organism depends on its work.
  6. Chicory can easily replace harmful coffee.
  7. Herbal tea is not only a source useful substances, but also prevents and reduces inflammatory processes in the oral cavity.

By adding as many teeth-healthy foods as possible to your diet, you can rest assured about the beauty of your smile.

Prevention

If a tooth crumbles, what should you do? This question is becoming relevant. But it might be better to prevent destruction, so as not to carry out long-term treatment. Measures to prevent tooth decay include:

  • Choose the right toothbrush. It should not be too hard so as not to injure the enamel and mucous membrane of the gums. It is important for adults not only to rinse their mouths after eating, but also to use dental floss.

  • If there is a hereditary predisposition to tooth decay, since childhood, it is advisable for the child to use special dental elixirs and pastes to strengthen the enamel.
  • Get rid of bad habits: gnawing nuts with your teeth, seeds. Visit your dentist regularly, even if nothing is bothering you. Timely cleaning of crowns will eliminate the appearance of tartar.
  • Try to get rid of teeth grinding. If the problem cannot be solved, then you can use mouth guards at night; they will protect the enamel from destruction.
  • Drink twice a year vitamin complex, including calcium, fluoride, vitamin D. It will not only improve the condition of dental tissue, but also make hair and nails stronger, and the skin will be transformed.
  • The diet should regularly include dairy products, vegetables and fruits, seafood, nuts and liver.
  • Usage herbal decoctions for rinsing the mouth, it will strengthen the gums and have a positive effect on the teeth.
  • Quit smoking, nicotine has harmful influence and on the condition of tooth enamel.
  • Avoid injury to gums and teeth during physical activity.
  • Include gum massage in your daily dental care.

It is much easier to prevent tooth decay than to restore them later. Many people forget about this.

Let's sum it up

Based on reviews from patients who have encountered this problem, we can say that the lack of treatment for crumbling teeth is an almost 100% guarantee of their complete destruction. The sooner the recovery process begins, the more successful it will be. Regular visits to the dentist will save you from expensive treatment for any dental problems.

The quality of teeth directly affects the chewing function and, accordingly, the entire functioning of the gastrointestinal tract. Any problems with teeth affect the condition of the dentition, which leads to disruption of the grinding of food in the oral cavity and its improper digestion.

Decaying teeth significantly worsen a person’s appearance, which entails psychological problems. Patients feel insecure and constrained when communicating, and are embarrassed to smile. Source: flickr (Amar ramA).

Reasons why teeth crumble and decay

What to do if your teeth are crumbling? To answer this question, it is necessary to understand the causes of the problem of poor quality dental tissue, which can be observed in both adult patients and children.

Why do teeth decay in adults?

  • poorly installed filling or the consequences of improper prosthetics ( carious cavity incompletely cleaned, use of low-quality filling material by the dentist, non-compliance with technology, etc.);
  • metabolic disease. Incorrect metabolic processes in the body can be triggered by many factors: bad habits, diseases endocrine system, unhealthy diet, eating unhealthy food, taking medicines, menopause. As a result, the quality of dental tissue decreases, the enamel and inner layer are destroyed;
  • mechanically damaged enamel (chewing hard food, opening bottles with teeth, bruises, blows to the jaw, etc.);
  • age-related changes. With age, metabolic processes in the human body deteriorate, including at the cellular level, and begin to progress chronic diseases, weakens the immune system. This leads to bone becomes brittle, the risk of fractures increases, teeth begin to crumble, chip and fall out. How more to a person years, the worse the condition of the oral mucosa and gums, which also leads to certain dental problems;
  • lack of vitamins. Bone tissue fragility develops with a lack of vitamins B and D, ascorbic acid and retinol;
  • poor nutrition. The quality of teeth is very badly affected by: soda, sweets, too hot or too cold food;
  • ecology: bad water, radiation, harsh environmental conditions, constant contact with chemicals– all this leads to rapid destruction of the dentition;
  • malocclusion. This defect causes excessive friction and pressure in specific areas. This leads to the fact that the enamel becomes thinner faster than usual, bacteria begin to penetrate into the deeper layers, caries begins to progress and ultimately the dentin is destroyed. Malocclusion simply needs to be treated early age to avoid serious dental problems in the future.

Another cause of tooth decay can be pregnancy. A child takes a colossal amount of calcium from a woman’s body during pregnancy, which inevitably leads to deterioration of bone tissue. Lack of calcium is the main cause of crumbling teeth. Source: flickr (Olya Batishcheva).

Why do children's teeth crumble?

Unfortunately, there are also many reasons why teeth deteriorate in childhood:

  • insufficient intake of essential microelements, minerals and vitamins into the body. The quality of teeth in children is directly influenced by vitamins of group D. Substances such as calcium, fluorine, silicon and phosphorus should also be supplied in sufficient quantities;
  • lack of nutrients during the mother's pregnancy. Future mom must take care of proper nutrition and the intake of necessary nutrients into the body;
  • heredity. If with relatives bad teeth, they began to fall out early, it is necessary to monitor the baby’s oral cavity from a very early age: treat caries in a timely manner, regularly perform all necessary hygiene procedures. This is the only way to prevent early dentin destruction;
  • bad habits inherent in children that provoke the entry of bacteria (thumb sucking, the desire to taste soil, sand, eating unwashed vegetables and fruits, etc.);
  • unhealthy diet (excessive amount of sweets on the menu, carbonated sweet water with dyes, sour berries and fruits);
  • lack of calcium;
  • malocclusion, which can develop from prolonged use of pacifiers (than longer teeth move to the side under the pressure of the pacifier, the more difficult it will be to correct the bite. Small teeth will become fragile, there will be a risk of destruction, which can lead to injury to the oral mucosa).

Preventing the problem from occurring

To avoid serious pathologies in the field of dentistry, you must adhere to the following basic rules:

  • monitor your diet (include milk, kefir, yoghurts, herbs, fish fat, nuts, hard cheeses, liver, eggs, legumes);
  • less sweets and no soda;
  • Accustom yourself to rinse your mouth after every meal. To do this, you can use ready-made air fresheners or self-prepared decoctions. medicinal herbs. Celandine strengthens gums very well, oak bark is an indispensable remedy for the prevention of periodontal disease, and sage is also good. Chamomile has an antibacterial effect;
  • Rinse your mouth with water after eating something sour. If the acid stays in the oral cavity for a long time, this will lead to rapid damage to the enamel and subsequent problems;
  • say no bad habits. In people who smoke and drink strong alcoholic drinks, the quality of the top layer decreases, which leads to the formation of microcracks through which bacteria penetrate;
  • Carefully monitor your diet during pregnancy. The diet must include foods enriched with calcium and all necessary nutrients;
  • don't neglect hygiene procedures, use dental floss.
  • Visits to the dentist should be regular.

How to treat crumbling teeth with homeopathy

It should be remembered that it is not always possible to get rid of crumbling teeth by visiting a dentist; other measures are often required that will not only eliminate the symptom in the form of a decayed tooth, but will also help solve the problem at a deeper level.

This is especially true in cases where dental problems are caused by diseases internal organs, metabolic disorders or weakened immunity. These types of pathologies can be overcome with the help of homeopathy.

Usually homeopathic remedies homeopath prescribes individually after analysis appearance, psychological type, the characteristics of each patient’s body reactions. He picks up suitable drug, taking into account all these indicators and symptoms of the disease. Therefore, it is quite possible that the drug that is suitable for one person will be completely useless for another.

If you have frequent caries, then it is necessary to undergo examination to exclude catarrh Bladder. If the cause of tooth decay is related to urological problems, homeopaths will recommend taking:

  • 12 (China), 12 (Hepar sulfur) and Cantharis 12 (Cantharis). This will not only get rid of caries, but also help eliminate diseases of the internal organs.

For tooth decay The presence of biliary tract diseases is often noted. This will help:

  • Chinina (China), (Calcarea fluorica) and (Staphisagria). You need to take the drug 2 granules 3 times a day for 30 days.

Often children have black plaque as a result of frequent dysbacteriosis. In this situation, the following is prescribed:

  • Hepar sulfur 12 (Hepar sulfur), Hina 12 (China), 12 (Thuja), also 2 granules three times a day for a month.

All these drugs will not only help you get rid of problems with crumbling teeth, but will also eliminate the disease, strengthen the immune system, and normalize metabolism.

Our teeth are exposed to destructive forces every day. Their condition is affected environment, food consumed, bad habits, insufficient hygiene and much more.

Knowing the main reasons, you can protect your teeth from negative effects and keep them healthy.

Symptoms

Tooth decay occurs in several stages, each characterized by its own symptoms. Without going into details, we can identify the main symptoms of destruction:

  • the crown in places or entirely acquires a brown or gray tint. This occurs due to the thinning of the enamel, through which dentin appears, which has a darker color. The thinner the enamel layer, the more pronounced yellow crowns;
  • the enamel, at the site of destruction, becomes rough, which indicates its softening;
  • teeth begin to react strongly to hot and cold. Expressiveness this symptom also depends on the degree of thinning of the enamel;
  • Chips or cracks progressively appear on the surface. Pain in response to external stimuli does not go away for a long time;
  • in the coronal part, erosions with beveled edges are formed, opening the dentin;
  • voids appear in the dentin exposing the pulp and nerve canals. Observed severe pain during meals, as well as at rest;
  • the shape of the tooth changes. A roundness of the surface and some shortening or narrowing of the crown may appear.

Main influencing factors

The destruction of enamel is influenced by many factors, which are divided into 2 groups: external and internal.

External

There are several types external factors, which are classified depending on the nature of their origin. Main types of external factors:

  • temperature. Very often, it is this type of factor that is fundamental to the destruction of enamel. The contrast in operating temperatures leads to the formation of cracks in the enamel, leading to the penetration of microbes into the deep layers of the tooth and its subsequent destruction;
  • mechanical. Basically these are impacts, strong pressure, etc. leading to abrasion or deformation of the tooth;
  • chemical. Factors of chemical origin are considered the most aggressive and harmful, leading to rapid tooth destruction, especially if the enamel is weakened;
  • hygienic. The main factors influencing the condition of hard tissues are improperly selected methods of oral hygiene or lack thereof.

Domestic

TO internal factors relate:

  • metabolic disorders associated with nutrition. Mainly lead to demineralization of enamel and dentin;
  • heredity. The manifestation of this factor can be observed both at an early age and in adulthood. Moreover, despite the work to eliminate the destruction, the pathology will still progress, only more slowly;
  • hormonal disorders;
  • exposure to medications or therapeutic procedures.

General factors

Photo: an incorrect bite inevitably leads to tooth decay

Tooth decay is common in humans of different ages and gender. There are reasons that are unique to children, only men or women. But in 70% of cases the reasons are the same for both.

Common reasons include:

  • malocclusion. In the presence of a butt bite, the load on the surface is unevenly distributed, which leads to severe thinning of the enamel. Most often, incisors are susceptible to destruction in this case. lower jaw;
  • . With this disease, not only thinning of the enamel is possible, but also the appearance of chips on the cutting surface;
  • genetic predisposition. The quality of the enamel also depends on what kind of enamel the parents had. Moreover, dental heredity can manifest itself both at an early age at the stage of formation of milk teeth, and in adulthood;
  • lack of microelements. This does not always depend on an unbalanced diet. The quality of enamel is affected by a lack of calcium and phosphorus, which are not absorbed in the body according to various reasons(endocrine and immune diseases, deficiency, for example D);
  • dental diseases . Untreated dental diseases always lead to destruction;
  • poor quality oral care. The condition of the enamel worsens with irregular or untimely care. The quality of the enamel is greatly influenced by the correct cleaning procedure (cleaning time, pressure, procedure). Properly selected paste and brush play an important role;
  • unbalanced diet. A diet of this nature causes an acute shortage of microelements, which directly affect the composition of enamel and dentin. If they are deficient, the condition of the teeth worsens, up to total loss.

In children

The destruction of enamel is typical not only for adults, but also for children. Active destruction is already observed in children of two years of age.

An examination of children aged 10 years showed the presence of destruction in 60%. Dentists have identified the main causes of the development of pathologies in which tooth tissue is destroyed.

Let's consider the causes of destruction of enamel and dentin, which are characteristic only of children.

Artificial nutrition

If it is impossible to provide the child breast-feeding, use artificial milk substitutes. Such mixtures do not always have high adaptation, and contain a large number of carbohydrates.

In the child's mouth, carbohydrates are broken down and form organic acids. At a young age, a child’s enamel is still too weak; acids easily demineralize it, which contributes to early destruction.

It is quite difficult to detect demineralization, since the process takes place in the subsurface part of the enamel.

Unfavorable conditions of intrauterine development

When metabolic disorders occur during pregnancy, not only the mother but also the child suffers. Teeth are no exception, since the rudiments of temporary teeth are formed precisely during intrauterine development.

The most common causes of disorders: improper nutrition of a pregnant woman, previous illness, pronounced early toxicosis. Unfavorable conditions of intrauterine development cause underdevelopment or complete absence enamel and abnormal development of the normal crown.

Poor hygiene

Common cause dental pathologies is transfer of certain types of streptococcus bacteria from parents to child. Children under two years of age do not have the required amount of protective immunoglobulins, so the bacteria takes root instantly and causes not only serious illnesses teeth, but also gums.

Main methods of infection: licking pacifiers, sharing cutlery.

Saliva buffer capacity

Unlike adults, a child’s saliva has a weak alkaline value, that is, it lacks elements responsible for the condition of hard tissues. This prevents saliva from performing its mineralizing function, which can lead to early damage to the enamel.

In men

Active destruction of hard dental tissues in men continues until about 40 years of age, after which a significant decline is observed. In addition to the general reasons listed above, there are those that are most often found in men.

Destruction due to mechanical damage

With such damage, microcracks and chips form, in which pathogenic microorganisms accumulate, leading to tissue deformation. Such injuries are explained by the specifics of the profession, passion for certain sports, and in some cases aggressive behavior.

Also common cause is the habit of opening lids, gnawing seeds or nuts.

Smoking and drinking alcohol

When smoking and drinking drinks containing alcohol, the balance of saliva is disrupted, making it more acidic.

This demineralizes the enamel, increases the porosity of hard tissues and promotes the accumulation of hard deposits in the cervical and subgingival zone. This aspect guarantees the gradual destruction of the enamel.

Among women

In women, dental tissues are destroyed much more often than in men.. For this purpose there are not only common reasons, but also individual, inherent only to women. There are several such reasons.

Pregnancy

During pregnancy, a colossal restructuring of the body occurs. All processes are aimed at the full development of the fetus. During the formation of the fetus, all trace elements found in female body, come to the child from the mother’s blood.

If these elements are not enough in the blood, then they are washed out from other systems of the body. One of these systems is the dentition.

During pregnancy, the enamel is deprived of important microelements - magnesium and phosphorus, which leads to a softening of the surface of the crown and makes it more fragile. The acidity of saliva during pregnancy increases and provokes active destruction of hard tissues.

If before pregnancy a woman had oral pathologies that she did not cure, they progress sharply. This applies not only to dental diseases, but also to gum diseases.

Tooth erosion

This disease most often occurs in women. Mostly these are middle-aged women. In the absence of treatment, the upper layers of enamel are first affected, then the deeper ones, exposing the dentin. A pronounced crown defect is revealed.

Uncontrolled sudden weight loss

This mainly happens with regular diets and their advanced stages (anorexia). In this case, metabolism is disrupted, which leads to partial destruction or complete loss of teeth.

Endocrine cause

Occurs during menopause and increased function thyroid gland (thyrotoxicosis). In these cases, serious hormonal changes occur that disrupt the functioning of the salivary glands, metabolism and immune system.

All of these aspects lead to increased fragility of enamel and dentin.

Consequences and prevention

The presence of decaying teeth in the oral cavity has many consequences. Firstly, the aesthetic appearance is lost. Secondly, the decaying area is a breeding ground for pathogenic organisms leading to complications (pathologies of teeth and gums).

Complications can cause damage to the entire oral cavity, instability of the root system of the tooth or its complete loss.

To avoid the destruction of enamel and maintain its strength, it is necessary to carry out prevention.

Basic Rules:

  • maintain oral hygiene and visit the dentist regularly;
  • relieve your teeth from unnecessary mechanical stress (biting thread, cracking nuts, opening corks or lids, etc.);
  • If the first symptoms of destruction appear, contact your dentist immediately.

Despite the strength of the enamel, it turns out that there are many reasons for its destruction. To maintain dental health, you need to take them into account and try to avoid them. Since it is easier to prevent “decrease in the quality of teeth” than to treat it.

And several more reasons for tooth decay are voiced in the following video:

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