There are almost 650 types of bacteria that can be found in our mouths. Of all these types of bacteria, the only ONE that actively causes tooth decay is named Streptococcus mutans. When you eat a food with ANY sugar in it, the S. mutans bacteria also eat sugar. When these bacteria eat sugar, the waste product given off is lactic acid. Given time, lactic acid can eat holes in your teeth.

If you were to have no tooth decay, you would probably still have S. mutans in your mouth, but it would be found in very low numbers. But if you do have tooth decay your mouth becomes LOADED with high numbers of them. As your dentist it is my job to get rid of the tooth decay & your job is to lower the number of S. mutans bacteria in your mouth. If the numbers stay high, you will just form new cavities, as fast as we can fix them and the small cavities will continue to grow.

1. Brush well, at least twice a day. This means using a good brush (an Oral-B super tip – soft compact, Rotadent electric brush or the Crest Spin Brush. If we haven’t done so yet, we’ll be telling you how to properly use your brush.
2. Floss well with Butler EZ Thru or Oral-B GUM Expanding at least once a day (twice a day is better). For those of you who have cosmetic work it is better to use POH floss.
3. Reduce the FREQUENCY of sweets. For instance, sucking a Tic Tacs several times a day will ‘kill’ your teeth.
4. Rinse with a fluoride rinse for 60 seconds twice a day (not for children age 5 or younger). One of these rinses should be immediately before sleep. Do not rinse with water, eat or drink for at least 30 minutes after rinsing with a fluoride rinse. We want the fluoride to continue working even after you spit it out. Children may use ACT REACH fluoride rinse in flavors mint, cinnamon, and bubblegum. Adults should use SPRY Xylitol Mouth Rinse. It is a natural anti-plaque product, which we are finding, has the same effects as fluoride mouth rinses. For adults who have heavy staining, due to coffee and tobacco, we recommend using Rembrandt Age Defying Mouthrinse, because in addition to fluoride, it helps keep the gums healthy (although adults may use the ACT if they’d like – even the bubblegum ACT FOR KIDS).
5. Chew Xylitol Gum. You need to eat or chew xylitol products at least five times throughout each day. You may use xylitol gum, xylitol mints, xylitol toothpaste, xylitol mouth rinse and xylitol also comes granulated just like regular sugar, to be used in place of regular granulated sugar. Dr. Bertolini has the toothpaste and mouth rinse available in the office for your convenience.
6. Have the active areas of decay removed
7. Seal off the tiny natural pits where bacteria hide and start cavities, and replace defective fillings/crown that allow bacteria to seep under and cause decay (that’s also our job). If these pits are slightly deeper we will do a Preventive Resin Restoration (PRR). This is generally done without anesthesia and is appropriate for areas deeper than a sealant can take care of.

Brushing and flossing will lower the numbers of Streptococcus mutans by physically removing them. Reducing the FREQUENCY of sugar intake reduces the number of times per day that acids are produced by bacteria. Fluoride rinses help make the teeth stronger against the acids produced by S. mutans. And xylitol gum actually helps kill bacteria.

There are many types of natural sugars. There is glucose found in honey, lactose found in milk, fructose found in fruits, and sucrose (table sugar) found in sweets and other foods. It’s the sucrose (sometimes listed as corn syrup) that causes the problems. Xylitol is also a natural type of sugar found in some fruits, berries, and vegetables. When S. Mutans eat Xylitol, it kills many of them. And it injures the other ones so that they cannot produce acid for a few hours. You can see that chewing the Xylitol gum can be very beneficial. Not only will it not cause tooth decay, but also it can actually help prevent it.

Please don’t think that chewing Xylitol gum means you don’t have to do the things listed above. Xylitol is not a ‘magic bullet’, but it is useful in the fight against tooth decay.

Closely follow the instructions above and you will have much success in preventing new cavities. You’ll also be amazed at how much better your mouth will feel. Call us with any questions 330-494-6305.

Bad breath is largely associated with dental problems. Once the tooth decay is gone and you’ve added xylitol to your diet, some people still may have bad breath. This is due to another type of bacteria present in your mouth. These bacteria known as Anaerobic Sulfur Producing Bacteria normally live WITHIN the surface of the tongue and in the throat.

These bacteria are supposed to be there, because they assist humans in digestion by breaking down proteins found in specific foods, mucous (phlegm), blood, and in diseased or "broken-down" oral tissue. When these "beneficial" bacteria come into contact with these compounds, the odorous and awful-tasting sulfur compounds are released from the back of the tongue and throat, as Hydrogen Sulfide, Methyl Mercaptan, and other odorous and bad tasting compounds.

1. How we clean our mouth
   *See previous article about cavity prevention
   
   
2. Infections of the Tonsils
   The surface make-up of tonsils includes small divots or tonsil crypts that retain and trap debris. The trapped debris combines with volatile sulfur compounds (produced by anaerobic bacteria beneath the surface of your tongue) and putrefies in the back of your throat. The resulting tonsil stones (tonsiloliths) are expelled when the volume of the "stones" exceed the capacity of the crypt in which it is contained.

   Symptoms are hard whitish/yellow, foul smelling particles that can be coughed up, chronic halitosis and a thick white coating on your tongue.

   Treatment for this chronic problem is to see a doctor about the removal of the infected tonsils.
   

3. What we eat
   Everyone knows that too many onions or too much garlic can lead to bad breath. But do you know why? It’s because the odorous molecules in onions and garlic are actually sulfur compounds themselves. (Sulfur is nature’s way of creating odors.) For example, if milk sits out too long it spoils. The odor of sour milk is caused by the bacteria break down of the lactose protein and these bacteria allow the release of the amino acids which in turn end up becoming volatile sulfur compounds, exactly the same compounds found in bad breath.
   
   Drying Agents are also a common cause of bad breath. Examples of drying agents are alcohol and smoking. The dry mouth is an ideal environment for these bacteria to increase their sulfur production.
   
   Foods that are dense in proteins are also known to cause bad breath. This is mainly in those who are lactose intolerant. The result of the incomplete breakdown of lactose protein is a build up of amino acids, which can convert into sulfur compounds by the anaerobic bacteria found within the surface of your tongue and throat.
   
   Lastly, sugars are another contributor to bad breath. Sugars are the fuel for the bacteria to reproduce and create more sulfur compounds. The build up of sugars also being the culprit of plaque, leading to tooth decay and gum disease, which in turn creates even worse bad breath.
   
   
4. Sinus problems (drip)
   When a person has post nasal drip, mucus drains and coats the back of the tongue and throat, exactly where the bacteria live. Since mucus is made up of interlinked strands of protein, the bacteria rapidly break them down into odorous and sour tasting sulfur type compounds. Antihistamines may further the problem because of their drying effect. As we learned above, this creates a good environment for sulfur production = bad breath.