Question

Anjali's friend suggested the following four ways to avoid tooth decay:

a. Brush your teeth twice a day

b. Wear braces to avoid enamel decay

c. Avoid sweets, chocolates and carbonated drinks

d. Rinse mouth after every meal

Which of the above ways should Anjali follow?

1. c, d and a
2. d, a and b
3. a and c
4. b, c and d

Answer 1

Correct Answer - Option 1 : c, d and a

Concept

• The tooth decay starts in the mouth when Ph goes below 5.5.
• The decay of teeth is because of the increase in acidity inside the mouth due to bacteria.

Explanation

• In this pH, the bacteria create acid in the mouth through the oxidation of sugar and food particles.
• Bacteria also bind to the teeth to form dental plaque which coasts the teeth and hence saliva does not reach the tooth layer to neutralise the acid.
• Hence in order to protect teeth from decay, it is the basic step to decrease the bacterial load in the mouth.
• Brushing removes on the teen the sticky bacterial accumulation and reduces bacterial growth.
• Also, the basic nature of toothpaste neutralises the acid in the mouth and hence stops tooth decay.
• Baking soda or sodium hydrogen carbonate is also used to clean the teeth as it is alkaline in nature.

• Brush your teeth twice a day - Correct
• Wear braces to avoid enamel decay - Incorrect (because braces help to reshape the structure of the tooth and not to stop the decaying).
• Avoid sweets, chocolates and carbonated drinks - Correct
• Rinse mouth after every meal - Correct

• A healthy pH for the mouth environment is nearly neutral 6.8. 
• Tooth erosion occurs primarily due to acids you ingest from outside sources, such as sodas and citrus fruit drinks.
• The enamel is composed of 96% minerals, primarily hydroxyapatite; the remaining 4% of the enamel is primarily water and organic material.