What causes tooth decay?
产生龋齿的原因是什么?
What is it that lives on our teeth, gums, and tongue?
什么东西生活在我们的牙齿、牙龈和舌头上?
Microbes!
微生物!
These microbes can be good or bad and the bad ones can cause tooth decay.
这些微生物有好有坏,坏的会导致蛀牙。
There are many types of bacteria that cause tooth decay; these can be Streptococcus mutans, Streptococcus sobrinus, and Lactobacillus.
引起龋齿的细菌有很多种,包括变形链球菌、远缘链球菌和乳杆菌。
This is not at all exaggerated: as soon as we eat something, our bad, tiny microbes start to initiate a fierce battle in our mouth.
这一点儿也不夸张:一旦我们吃了什么东西,我们的有害微小微生物就会在我们的嘴里开始激烈的战斗。
The bacteria use every bit of leftover foods and drinks that contain sugar or starch as ingredients to produce acids that can eat away the tooth's hardest surface, the enamel.
这些细菌利用所有含有糖或淀粉的食物和饮料残渣,产生酸,腐蚀牙齿最坚硬的表面——牙釉质。
The wound in the tooth that we've noticed as the dental cavity and the surrounding devastating, sticky, transparent film of microbes as dental plaque.
我们注意到的牙齿伤口就是龋齿周围毁灭性的,粘性的,透明的微生物膜就是牙菌斑。
Battling the destruction the microbes has brought, is the minerals in our saliva, consisting of mainly Calcium and Phosphate.
与微生物带来的破坏作斗争的是我们唾液中的矿物质,主要由钙和磷酸盐组成。
Together with Flouride from the toothpaste, water, and other sources, the saliva remineralises the damaged enamel after each acid attack.
与牙膏、水和其他来源的氟化物一起,唾液在每次酸攻击后重新使受损的牙釉质矿化。
This battle of scraping minerals away and cementing it back to enamel is always happening at any time for as long as the person is alive.
只要人还活着,这种把矿物质刮掉并粘回到牙釉质上的战斗就会随时发生。
A constant acid attack, however, may overburden the ability of saliva to heal the tooth.
然而,持续的酸攻击可能会使唾液的修复能力超负荷。
This means that the frequent eating and drinking of sugar and starch that we all love, arms the bacteria to defeat the good guy, saliva.
这意味着,我们经常喜欢吃的糖和淀粉,武装了细菌来击败好人--唾液。
The rate of recovery of the enamel will be outrun by the repeated cycles of acid damage done to it, hence causing it to lose minerals.
酸对牙釉质的反复破坏会使牙釉质的恢复超负荷,从而导致牙釉质失去矿物质。
An early sign of decay may show in the form of a white spot where the mineral is lacking.
腐烂的早期迹象可能表现为缺乏矿物质的白色斑点。
If action is taken at this point, by supplying enough minerals and Fluoride, the enamel can still repair itself and the decay can be stopped or even reversed.
如果在这时候采取行动,通过提供足够的矿物质和氟化物,牙釉质仍然可以自我修复,龋齿可以停止甚至逆转。
But if we keep consuming sugar and starch mindlessly, more minerals will be lost and the decay process will continue beyond repair.
但如果我们继续盲目地摄入糖和淀粉,就会失去更多的矿物质,龋齿的过程将继续下去,直到无法修复。
The enamel will be weakened and eventually destroyed, forming a dental cavity.
牙釉质会被削弱,并最终被破坏,形成牙洞。
To save the damaged tooth, we require the help of a dentist to fill the hole with materials such as composite resin.
为了挽救受损的牙齿,我们需要牙医的帮助,用复合树脂等材料来填补这个洞。
Tooth decays can be avoided by eating or drinking less sugar and starches.
少吃或少喝糖和淀粉可以避免龋齿。
Frequent use of fluoride-containing mouthwashes, gels, toothpaste, and tablets will also fortify the enamel.
经常使用含氟的漱口水、凝胶、牙膏和药片也可以强化牙釉质。
This is why it's important to brush our teeth twice a day!
这就是一天刷牙两次很重要的原因!