מומחה מיינונג: ציין זאָל זיין געזונט!
“A varied, balanced diet is the key to the health of all human systems and organs. This is also true when it comes to the health of our teeth. The intake of sufficient amounts of various vitamins and trace elements, primarily calcium — the building material of teeth — ensures the normal mineralization of tooth enamel, prevents its destruction.
However, you need to know: any, even the most useful and healthy food carries a certain threat to our teeth. Why is this happening? When sugar-containing products enter the body, pathogenic microorganisms that break down sugar to sugar acids are activated in the oral cavity — these substances are the main cause of many dental problems. Do not be mistaken by those who are supporters of proper nutrition and “do not use sugar at all”. The fact is that most fruits and vegetables contain so-called hidden sugar: for example, eating one raw carrot, you get as much sugar as it is contained in 1 cube of refined sugar. In an apple, the amount of sugar is identical to 6 pieces. Thus, almost all products contain hidden sugar.
Under the influence of sugar acids, there is a gradual destruction of the tooth enamel and caries begins to develop. In the initial stages, the disease proceeds imperceptibly and asymptomatically. However, if the problem is not recognized in a timely manner, caries progresses and over time can completely destroy the tooth. That is why it is necessary to visit the dentist twice a year — only a specialist can determine the presence of an incipient disease and eliminate the threat to the teeth.
Of course, with a regular visit to the dental clinic, the doctor will notice caries. But in the intervals between visits, the responsibility for dental health lies with the person himself, so everyone needs to have an idea of the first signs of the problem. Alert should be symptoms such as even a short aching pain after eating or painful sensations when pressing on the tooth. Sharp edges and irregularities on the teeth can also indicate the process of destruction. It is worth paying attention to the appearance of the teeth: light areas on the enamel, as well as small dark spots and darkening-signs of incipient caries. Finally, caries reminds itself of an unpleasant smell from the mouth, which can not be eliminated with the help of fresheners or chewing gum.
Any of these signs should be a reason to visit the dentist as soon as possible. However, many people prefer to ignore the problem, and as a result, according to statistics, caries affects the teeth of the majority of the world’s population — 60-90 % of school-age children and the absolute majority of adults. That is why caries is considered the number 1 disease in the world.
This situation is quite paradoxical today, when dentistry has become an almost painless and generally accessible branch of medicine. In addition, caries is easy to prevent even at home. For this purpose, special oral hygiene products have been created. For example, fluoride-based toothpastes strengthen tooth enamel, making it resistant to the destructive effects of acids. However, clinical studies conducted by Colgate have shown that the preventive effect of fluorides can be enhanced at times by neutralizing the acids produced by microorganisms. For this purpose, a special toothpaste has been created that combines the amino acid arginine, which is a natural building protein of the human body, calcium carbonate and fluorides. Arginine has been shown to increase the pH of plaque, making the intraoral environment safe for the mineral components of the hard tissues of the teeth.
This innovative technology helps to stop the development of the pathological process and even restore early carious lesions. In comparison with a paste containing only fluorides, Colgate Maximum Caries Protection + Sugar Acid Neutralizer™ toothpaste saturates enamel with minerals 4 times better, restores early carious lesions 2 times faster, and reduces the formation of new carious cavities by 20% more effectively.
Above, we have considered some aspects of the problem of oral health. However, the topic itself is much broader. Many books have been written about dental caries, dental hygiene, and nutrition without harm to the teeth. For sure, you will be interested to know which foods can cause harm, and which ones should be consumed to maintain dental health; how to properly care for teeth to avoid dental problems; whether it is necessary to treat baby teeth in children, etc. The main thing to remember: today, in the era of high dental technologies, you can and should keep your teeth strong and healthy. Everyone can do it! Ask questions — I will try to answer readers as fully and quickly as possible.”
Tikhon Akimov, Dentist, Candidate of Medical Sciences, Leading expert of Colgate