Decay
Decay is caused by minerals being leached out (dissolved out) of the tooth in an acid environment (low pH, below 7). As the minerals leave there is less support for the soft organic matrix. So, what is left is a soft mush.

The good news is that this organic matrix can be remineralized (minerals put back in the tooth) in a basic environment (high pH, above 7).

In a healthy situation even if our teeth are exposed to acid for short periods of time our saliva (which is filled with minerals and is basic(pH 7.4)) will remineralize the tooth. Decay occurs when our saliva is not given enough time to heal the tooth.

There are different causes of low pH in our mouth. Acidic foods such as pop (pH of 2.5 to 3.5 depending on type), natural acids such as citric acids in fruits and juices, stomach acids or bacteria around our teeth breaking down sugar to produce acid. This last one can be devastating for people who are snackers because bacteria continue to produce acid for twenty minutes after exposure to sugar. So, even with a liquid sugar such as pop that doesn't hang around long bacteria are still producing acid for twenty minutes whether it is a small sip or downing a 12 oz can. The rub comes when we sip pop or snack frequently over a long period of time. The teeth don't get a chance to heal and irreversible damage can occur (DECAY).

Bottom line is that if you see any similarities with this in your friends or family's habits, they may be at risk!

Pregnancy
The negative effects of pregnancy on the mouth are significant if proper attention is given to the situation. Knowing what to look for and how it is harmful allows most moms to prevent major problems during pregnancy. The following highlights two of the major issues associated with pregnancy.

One potential problem during pregnancy is the change in hormones can lead to an overreaction of the gums to irritants (bacteria and it byproducts) in your mouth. This overreaction can cause the gums to overgrow and become difficult to clean around as well as very unsightly. The best treatment for this is prevention by keeping your mouth clean- around the teeth with a toothbrush as well as between (flossing). Once this tissue is present it many times has to be surgically removed as it does not always go away on its own after the baby is born.

It use to be said you would lose at least one tooth for every child you had. This is not necessarily but unfortunately can be true. The reason behind this is two fold and both have to do with decay.

First, during the 1st trimester women many times are more nauseated (morning sickness) which can introduce stomach acid around the teeth causing tooth decay (cavities)(see Decay). To combat this nausea, women will sometimes eat smaller more frequent meals which also results in more acid around the teeth (see Decay). During the last trimester the baby is crowding the stomach and mom is again more likely to have frequent small meals and cause more tooth decay.

Second, the minerals in our saliva, that is so important for the remineralization of our teeth, will be shunted to the baby if the minerals in the diet are insufficient for both mom and child. This limits the saliva’s ability to heal the teeth (see Decay).

College Students
Being away from home it’s easy to deviate away from a good nutritious diet so it is important to make sure that you don't sip pop all day. With every sip of pop the acid remains active for 20 minutes. If you must sip something, sip water.

Recommended Sites
American Dental Association
Michigan Dental Association
Pankey Institute - A center of higher education for comprehensive dentistry.