Blog Series – What is Decay?

This is the core of dentistry – the continual pursuit of dealing with decay. The proper term is caries and we would rather you did not have caries at all. What God gives you is free; what man gives us costs. The man is not necessarily the dentist but what people give to themselves. Caries usually is a self-inflicted problem due to poor dietary habits, incorrect cleaning and a lack of professional maintenance. Unfortunately man made solutions are never going be as good as the real thing, but dentistry is trying its best!

It is incredible that we have found of recent years that patients are admitting that they cannot reduce the sugar in their diets, even though they need many fillings. It’s become an addiction that probably started as young children. Even with fluoride in the water decay is still occurring. This means if we did not have fluoride the situation would be a disaster. Instead of fillings, young adults would have dentures or implants, as teeth need to be removed. The ready access of sugar has yet to play out as over time people’s health will be compromised, e.g. diabetes.

Prevention is better than cure… always!

• What is decay? The Beginning
• What is Decay? After the White Spot – TheHole!
• What is decay? More on the cavity
• What is decay? Beginning of the end of the nerve
• What is decay? End of the nerve – too late! The BIG BANG
• What is decay? End of the nerve – too late! The slow whimper
• What is decay? End of the nerve – too late! The occasional annoyance 
• What is decay? The end of the nerve – “a non event”

Next week: Merry Christmas from Seymour Dental