THE DECAY PROCESS
Decay, essentially, is an acid-etching
process. The acid is formed when bacteria, always present in the mouth, digest
food particles left in the mouth. The acid attacks the enamel, the outer layer
of the teeth which, even though it is the hardest substance in the body, will
dissolve in acid. Decay is sneaky. Even a tiny hole, one you cannot see,
through the enamel can be enough to allow acid to enter to start dissolving the
dentin, the softer structure under the enamel.
When the decay process finally
reaches the pulp, the living part of the tooth containing nerves and blood
vessels, you may feel pain, but not necessarily. A tooth may r. be almost
completely rotted away and abscessed without causing pain. It would be bad
enough if the effects of decay in a tooth were limited to the tooth, but a
diseased tooth can allow bacteria to enter the blood- stream to be circulated
to the rest of the body. Dr. J. C. Muhler, of Indiana University, one of the
country's leading dental researchers, has written:
ADVANCES AGAINST GUM DISEASE
Meanwhile, gum
disease-technically known as periodontal disease-has come in for hard study.
And not only have effective methods to help The Armed Forces always had been
faced with a serious dental disease problem. Entering servicemen had an average
of seven decaying teeth each, and developed more while on duty; service
dentists couldn't begin to cope adequately. In 1961, the Army set up a
small-scale experimental program.
Servicemen had their teeth cleaned in the
dental chair, but instead of finishing up with the usual abrasive polishing
paste to make the teeth gleam, Army dentists used a paste with fluoride added.
Along with bright teeth, servicemen also got fluoride
burnished into the enamel during the polishing. In the same sitting, a topical
fluoride solution was dabbed on.
They were then sent away to make regular daily
use of a fluoridated toothpaste. . By 1963, Army dentists had expanded the
program so it reached more than 300,000 men. It has been expanding since, and
in the Navy and Air Force as well. Result: huge reductions in new cavity
formation. A comparison study at the Navy's New London, Connecticut, base, for
example, showed an 86 percent reduction in the decay rate among men on the
program.
After two years of experience with the program at the Naval Academy at
Annapolis, Admiral Kyes could report that "midshipmen now have a caries
expectancy of one new cavity in ten years," versus the average rate of university
students of the same age of two new cavities each year.
