How did a 17th-century Dutch merchant pave the way for our modern understanding of oral health?. And what really causes tooth decay?

And here are some easy actions you can take to maintain a healthy oral microbiota:. 1. maintain a low-sugar diet, particularly for children.2. limit frequent snacking.2. rinse your mouth with water after meals and snacks.3. use xylitol-containing toothpaste and gum. /35.

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A healthy oral microbiota looks like this: . 1. high diversity of bacterial species .2. dominance of beneficial bacteria.3. low level of pathogenic bacteria . 34/.

In summary, our current understanding is that dental caries aren't caused by a single bacterial species. Also, the presence of pathogenic species doesn't necessarily cause dental caries, as long as beneficial bacteria still dominate the oral ecosystem. 33/.

To counteract this, rinse your mouth with water after meals and snacks to wash away sugar/food residues and reduce acid/plaque build-up. Even better: rinse with xylitol or chew xylitol gum after meals. 32/.

Now, this may surprise you:.it's not the amount of sugar but the frequency of sugar intake that impacts your oral microbiota. Frequent sugar intake feeds pathogenic bacteria more often, leading to more acid production and creating a constant acidic environment. 31/.

A sugar-heavy diet is a sure way to reduce the diversity of your oral microbiota.- by promoting cariogenic species.- discouraging beneficial species. A diverse bacterial community not only helps to prevent dental caries but also periodontal disease and oral cancer. 30/.

This acidic environment not only dissolves minerals out of the enamel but is also hostile to beneficial bacteria that might otherwise help to keep cariogenic bacteria in check. 29/.

Dietary sugar is a strong driver of dysbiosis, not only in the oral cavity but also in the gut. But that's a topic for another day. Acid produced by cariogenic bacteria like S. mutans when they metabolize sugar creates an acidic environment. 28/

Our current understanding is that dental caries is a multifactorial disease. The overall health of the oral microbial community is more important than the presence of individual pathogenic bacterial species. Preventing oral dysbiosis is key. 27/

When you consume sugar, cariogenic bacteria such as S. mutans in your mouth metabolize it into acids like lactic acid, which can demineralize tooth enamel. 26/

These enamel crystals undergo a constant pH-dependent process of remineralization (=adding minerals back) OR demineralization (=losing minerals). Healthy saliva is saturated with calcium phosphate ions that remineralize teeth when the pH is neutral or slightly alkaline. 25/

Let's talk about tooth anatomy for a bit:. the tooth has two layers: .enamel (hard outer layer) and dentine (softer inner layer). They are made of calcium phosphate minerals which are arranged in crystal structures known as calcium hydroxyapatite. 24/

So how do cariogenic bacteria like S. mutans actually cause tooth decay?. Even though tooth decay is an infectious disease, it is not an infectious disease in the classical sense as we used to believe. 23/.

However, baby teeth function as placeholders in the jaw. If they fall out prematurely due to tooth decay, the jaw starts to shrink. This can eventually lead to crowding once the permanent teeth appear. 22/

Baby teeth are also more prone to tooth decay because the enamel is thinner. You may think: but they are not permanent. 21/.

Reduce the number of S. mutans in the oral cavity of your child, particularly during the first two years:. 1. Put your child on a low-sugar diet. S. mutans thrive on sugar. 2. Use a toothpaste that contains xylitol which inhibits the growth of S. mutans. 20/.

Delaying S. mutans transmission during this essential window of infectivity decreases the risk of future dental caries by up to 50% in your child. Let's be honest: transmission is hard to prevent. BUT here's what you still can do. 19/.

Remember the window of infectivity of S. mutans between ages 6 months and 2.5 years?. S. mutans need tooth surfaces to live on and it's transmitted from parents to babies through saliva (e.g. cleaning a pacifier in your mouth before giving it back to your child). 18/.

The highest microbial expansion is seen in the first two years when a new niche substrate, the baby teeth, emerges. Preventing pathogenic bacteria from establishing in the mouth during this period helps to preserve your child’s future oral health. 17/.

Over 700 species of bacteria will inhabit the oral cavity during the first few years of a child. Once all available niches are occupied, a stable microbial community will be established, making it harder for new populations to settle. 16/.