What is this event?

Every year June 4 is celebrated in different parts of our planet World caries day. The holiday is of great importance, because the problem of caries is relevant for the health of every person. And if you look at the numbers, caries is the most common disease in the world. 98% of the adult population of the Earth suffers from it. In 2021, World Caries Day falls on Saturday, June 4.

How did the idea to celebrate World Caries Day come about?

This event was celebrated for the first time in 2013 at the initiative of dentists. The holiday is one of the most important events in the field of dentistry. It is designed to draw attention to the importance of oral care. This is another opportunity to inform patients about dental diseases, their prevention and ways to fight them.

What is caries?

Caries is a progressive dental disease that occurs due to demineralization of bone tissue. This is a bacterial infection of the oral cavity, which occurs as a result of the action of internal or external factors.

After eating, remains remain in the oral cavity, in particular on the surface of the teeth, as well as in the gaps between them, which roam and rot. Organic acids and various organisms formed as a result of these processes have a negative effect on the tooth. Every time we consume sugar and products containing it, we expose our teeth to the risk of demineralization. It turns out that carbohydrates, in particular sweets, produce acids that are aggressive in relation to enamel.

Types of caries

Not everyone knows about the classification of this pathology. By place of formation caries is divided into fissural caries and cervical caries.

The most common fissured type of caries. Fissures – these are deepening grooves in the chewing teeth, in which food remains usually accumulate. In order to prevent caries, fissures can be sealed.

However, it is more difficult in terms of treatment cervical caries. That is, lesions are formed on the neck of the tooth. The enamel in this area has a very thin layer, and the spaces between the teeth are difficult to clean.

Stages of caries development

The development of caries occurs in several stages. On initial stage light yellow spots appear on the surface of the tooth – this indicates damage to the enamel. A person may not have any unpleasant sensations, so the problem is often ignored at the first stage of development.

However, if caries is not treated, it progresses to the next, middle stage its development, when not only the enamel suffers from damage, but the main tissues of the tooth, which are also called dentin. This layer, which is softer and more delicate than enamel, is destroyed much faster, so the disease progresses to a deeper stage after a short period of time. Medium caries is accompanied by external changes in the teeth: dark spots, carious cavities appear, pain may occur when eating cold, hot, sour or sweet food.

Deep stage caries is characterized by an unpleasant smell, significant destruction of tooth tissues and longer pain sensations.

What consequences can caries lead to?

Few people know that small dark spots on the teeth can lead to serious oral health problems, including:

• Pulpit – when the nerve in the recess of the tooth is inflamed, it leads to severe pain.
• Acute respiratory diseases – bacteria and microorganisms multiply in the affected areas of the teeth and get to other organs of the oral cavity, where they become the causative agents of inflammatory processes.
• Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. The main task of the teeth is to thoroughly chew food. However, when they are sick and cannot cope with their task, the load on the stomach and other organs of the gastrointestinal tract increases.

Caries prevention

Today it is difficult to find an adult who does not have problems with caries. However, the great news is that the oral cavity can be kept healthy if you carefully follow all the rules of prevention:

• Brush your teeth twice a day. The cleaning process itself should take place within two to three minutes.
• Remove all residues after eating. To do this, it is necessary to rinse the oral cavity and get rid of the residues collected between the teeth with the help of a special hygienic thread.
• Drink water regularly. Pathogenic microorganisms multiply much faster in a dry oral cavity.
• Avoid eating too hot and too cold foods. A sharp temperature drop also leads to the destruction of enamel.
• Visit the dentist regularly. Even if nothing bothers you, you should show your teeth to a specialist, he will identify and help get rid of the problem in the early stages of its development.
• Monitor nutrition. Excessive consumption of sugar and sweets negatively affects the health of the teeth.

Interesting facts about caries

• According to statistics, the caries problem is less common in Asian and African countries than in Scandinavian and North American countries.
• Scientists have discovered that people suffered from tooth decay more than 5,000 years ago.
• It is interesting that the cause of caries is not only the consumption of sweets, but also carbonated drinks. So, in 1903 in the USA, when the production of Coca-Cola increased, the number of caries cases increased dramatically.
• During the Middle Ages, it was believed that small worms that grind teeth from the inside lead to dental disease.
• Few people know, but the method of destroying the nerve of a diseased tooth with the help of arsenic was invented by the doctors of Ancient China and popularized in the 18th century by the Arab doctor Muhammad al Rashid.

How to celebrate World Caries Day?

On this day, each of us has the opportunity to deepen our knowledge about this disease. For this, you can read the relevant literature. Dental treatment for many is associated with stress and fear, therefore World caries day – this is another good opportunity to visit your dentist, as well as to check the condition of the teeth of your children and other members of your family. It is also important to learn how to properly care for the oral cavity in order to avoid serious dental problems.

When will we celebrate World Caries Day?