THE first thing a physician or dentist learns during his training is the characteristics of normal organs. Studying diseased organs then becomes easy. Let us look at the most common diseases of the teeth and how they are cured.

First, let us examine what causes dental caries, also called tooth decay, cavities or rotten teeth. The biggest dental problem we face is plaque. What is plaque? Plaque is a soft, sticky, colourless film made up of germs constantly forming on the surface of your teeth. It combines with sugar and starches to form acids, which melt the enamel of the teeth resulting in cavities.

What can you do to avoid tooth decay? You can do the following:
* Brush your teeth thoroughly, carefully and regularly.
* Floss at least once a day.
* If you can, avoid sticky, sugary foods.
* Visit your dentist for a check-up at least every three months.
* Eat a balanced diet. In other words, use plenty of greens, milk, and fish or meat.
How would you know if you have cavities? The first thing that happens when your tooth starts to rot is that it changes from its normal colour at that spot. You may observe dark streaks on the biting surfaces, or brown to chalky patches on the smooth surfaces. Instead of being intact, the spot may be soft or presenting a hole. Pain may or may not appear at this stage.

What should you if you think that you have cavities? Act right away before its too late. See a dentist as soon as possible. Right now, there are one hundred and thirteen registered dentists in Guyana and nearly all are accessible. They may be able to fix the problem either permanently or temporarily. Perhaps what you thought was tooth decay may not be. Let the professional confirm it.

Plaque also causes tartar or calculus. What is calculus? Minerals in saliva combine with plaque and harden into a rough deposit called calculus. This is mostly mineral, and it provides a rugged surface to which more plaque can attach, making thorough plaque removal impossible for the victim. Your toothbrush and floss cannot remove calculus. Only by regular prophylaxis (cleaning and polishing) performed by a trained person with adequate equipment and instruments can calculus be properly removed.

Calculus is a major factor that results in people losing their teeth the world over. How does this happen? It happens because calculus causes gum disease (also called periodontal disease).

When the hard, infected calculus penetrates beneath the gumline it destroys the delicate fibres and tissues there. Also, the supporting bone around the neck of the teeth is forced into absorption due to the constant presence of the germs and their poisons. The sick gum then swells and produces spongy tissue filled with blood vessels. These burst with the slightest of pressure hence the typical “ bleeding gums” is evident during normal brushing.

Eventually, pus may ooze from around the teeth as the process of a gingival abscess may emerge it the situation becomes chronic.

Though not a usual symptom of gum disease, the condition is commonly allowed to progress to its worst stage whereby the tooth loses its strong support in the jaw bone and must be extracted.