Microorganism in your mouth know more about how to effect microorganism in your mouth areas and part

                            Microorganism in your mouth

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Key Points

• Dental caries, also known as tooth decay or cavity, is a bacterial infection that causes demineralization and destruction of the hard tissues (enamel, dentin, and cementum).
• Tooth decay results from the production of acid by bacterial fermentation of the food debris accumulated on the tooth surface.
• Bacteria occupy the ecological niche provided by both the tooth surface and gingival epithelium. However, a highly efficient innate host defense system constantly monitors the bacterial colonization and prevents bacterial invasion of local tissues.
• Porphyromonas gingivalis is a Gram-negative oral anaerobe strongly associated with chronic adult periodontitis.
• Dental plaque is the material that adheres to the teeth and consists of bacterial cells (mainly S. mutans and S. sanguis), salivary polymers, and bacterial extracellular products.

Key Terms

• cavity: A soft area in a decayed tooth.
• plaque: a clearing in a bacterial lawn caused by a virus
• dental plaque: Dental plaque is the material that adheres to the teeth and consists of bacterial cells (mainly S. mutans and S. sanguis), salivary polymers, and bacterial extracellular products.
• biofilm: A thin film of mucus created by and containing a colony of bacteria and other microorganisms.

• Tooth and Gum Infections

  Dental caries, also known as tooth decay or cavity, is a bacterial infection that causes demineralization and destruction of the hard tissues (enamel, dentin, and cementum). This usually happens from the production of acid by bacterial fermentation of the food debris accumulated on the tooth surface. If demineralization exceeds saliva and other remineralization factors, such as from calcium and fluoridated toothpastes, these hard tissues progressively break down, producing dental caries (cavities, holes in the teeth). The bacteria most responsible for dental cavities are the mutans streptococci, most prominently Streptococcus mutans and Streptococcus sobrinus, and lactobacilli. If left untreated, the disease can lead to pain, tooth loss, and infection. Today, caries remain one of the most common diseases throughout the world.

The mouth contains a wide variety of oral bacteria, but only a few specific species of bacteria are believed to cause dental caries: Streptococcus mutans and Lactobacilli among them. Lactobacillus acidophilus, Actinomyces viscosus, Nocardia spp., and Streptococcus mutans are most closely associated with caries, in particular root caries. Bacteria collect around the teeth and gums in a sticky, creamy-colored mass called plaque, which serves as a biofilm. Some sites collect plaque more commonly than others. Grooves on the occlusal surfaces of molar and premolar teeth provide microscopic retention sites for plaque bacteria, as do the approximal sites. Plaque may also collect above or below the gingiva where it is referred to as supra- or sub-gingival plaque respectively

Dental caries, also known as tooth decay or cavity, is a bacterial infection that causes demineralization and destruction of the hard tissues (enamel, dentin, and cementum).

• Tooth decay results from the production of acid by bacterial fermentation of the food debris accumulated on the tooth surface.
• Bacteria occupy the ecological niche provided by both the tooth surface and gingival epithelium. However, a highly efficient innate host defense system constantly monitors the bacterial colonization and prevents bacterial invasion of local tissues.
• Porphyromonas gingivalis is a Gram-negative oral anaerobe strongly associated with chronic adult periodontitis.
• Dental plaque is the material that adheres to the teeth and consists of bacterial cells (mainly S. mutans and S. sanguis), salivary polymers, and bacterial extracellular products.
• Dental caries, also known as tooth decay or a cavity, is an infection, usually bacterial in origin, that causes demineralization of the hard tissues (enamel, dentin, and cementum ) and destruction of the organic matter of the tooth, usually by production of acid by hydrolysis of the food debris accumulated on the tooth surface. If demineralization exceeds saliva and other remineralization factors such as from calcium and fluoridated toothpastes, these tissues progressively break down, producing dental caries (cavities, holes in the teeth). The two bacteria most commonly responsible for dental cavities are Streptococcus mutans and Lactobacillus. If left untreated, the disease can lead to pain, tooth loss, and infection. Today, caries remain one of the most common diseases throughout the world.
  Caries can be classified by location, etiology, rate of progression, and affected hard tissues. These forms of classification can be used to characterize a particular case of tooth decay in order to more accurately represent the condition to others and also indicate the severity of tooth destruction.
  Tooth decay disease is caused by specific types of bacteria that produce acid in the presence of fermentable carbohydrates such as sucrose, fructose, and glucose. The mineral content of teeth is sensitive to increases in acidity from the production of lactic acid. To be specific, a tooth (which is primarily mineral in content) is in a constant state of back-and-forth demineralization and remineralization between the tooth and surrounding saliva. For people with little saliva, especially due to radiation therapies that may destroy the salivary glands, there also exists remineralization gel. These patients are particularly susceptible to dental caries. When the pH at the surface of the tooth drops below 5.5, demineralization proceeds faster than remineralization (meaning that there is a net loss of mineral structure on the tooth’s surface). Most foods are in this acidic range and without remineralization result in the ensuing decay.
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• Peridontitis

  Periodontitis is an inflammatory disease affecting the periodontium, or the tissues that surround and support the teeth. Periodontitis involves progressive loss of the alveolar bone around the teeth, and if left untreated, can lead to the loosening and subsequent loss of teeth. Periodontitis is caused by microorganisms that adhere to and grow on the tooth’s surfaces, along with an overly aggressive immune response against these microorganisms.
  

  Periodontal disease: This radiograph shows significant bone loss between the two roots of a tooth (black region). The spongy bone has receded due to infection under the tooth, reducing the bony support for the tooth.
  In the early stages, periodontitis has very few symptoms and in many individuals the disease has progressed significantly before they seek treatment. Symptoms may include the following:
  • Redness or bleeding of gums while brushing teeth, using dental floss, or biting into hard food
  • Gum swelling that recurs
  • Spitting out blood after brushing teeth
  • Halitosis, or bad breath, and a persistent metallic taste in the mouth
  • Gingival recession, resulting in apparent lengthening of teeth
  • Deep pockets between the teeth and the gums, that are sites where the attachment has been gradually destroyed by collagen-destroying enzymes, known as collagenases
  • Loose teeth, in the later stages
  The gingival inflammation and bone destruction of peridontitis are largely painless. Hence, people may wrongly assume that painless bleeding after teeth cleaning is insignificant, although this may be a symptom of progressing periodontitis in that patient.
  A diagnosis of periodontitis is established by inspecting the soft gum tissues around the teeth with a probe and by evaluating the patient’s x-ray films to determine the amount of bone loss around the teeth.

Gingivitis

Gingivitis, or inflammation of the gums, is a non-destructive peridontal disease. The primary cause of gingivitis is poor oral hygiene which leads to the accumulation of bacterial matrix at the gum line, called dental plaque. Other contributors are poor nutrition and underlying medical issues such as diabetes.

In some people, gingivitis progresses to periodontitis –- with the destruction of the gingival fibers, the gum tissues separate from the tooth, forming pockets between the tooth and gum. Subgingival microorganism (those that exist under the gum line) colonize the periodontal pockets and cause further inflammation in the gum tissues and progressive bone loss.

If left undisturbed, microbic plaque calcifies to form calculus, which is commonly called tartar. Calculus above and below the gum line must be removed completely by the dental hygienist or dentist to treat gingivitis and periodontitis. Although the primary cause of both gingivitis and periodontitis is the microbic plaque that adheres to the tooth surface, there are many other modifying factors. A very strong risk factor is one’s genetic susceptibility. Several conditions and diseases, including Down syndrome, diabetes, and other diseases that affect one’s resistance to infection also increase susceptibility to periodontitis.

Prevention

Daily oral hygiene measures to prevent periodontal disease include:

• Brushing teeth properly at least twice daily, with the patient attempting to direct the toothbrush bristles underneath the gum-line, to help disrupt the bacterial-mycotic growth and formation of subgingival plaque.
• Flossing daily and using interdental brushes as well as cleaning behind the last tooth, the third molar, in each quarter.
• Using an antiseptic mouthwash. Chlorhexidine gluconate-based mouthwash in combination with careful oral hygiene may cure gingivitis, although they cannot reverse any attachment loss due to periodontitis.
• Using periodontal trays to maintain dentist-prescribed medications at the source of the disease. The use of trays allows the medication to stay in place long enough to penetrate the biofilms where the microorganism are found.

Regular dental check-ups and professional teeth cleaning as required. Dental check-ups serve to monitor the person’s oral hygiene methods and levels of attachment around teeth, identify any early signs of periodontitis, and monitor response to treatment.