Causes of tooth decay more common.

The teeth are coated with a special enamel that protects them from external aggression.

When this layer is gradually disappearing by decalcification, stop protecting them and allowing germs in the mouth that can attack them.

Streptococcus mutans (S. mutans or) is considered the main etiologic agent of dental caries in humans and experimental animals.

This bacterium is transmitted mainly by the output eg the saliva of the mother or caregiver to the child during its first 30 months of age and resides in the dentition, so that at least one child must have teeth to produce the effective transmission.

The bacteria feed on sucrose and produces acid as a byproduct, thus degrading the enamel.

In 1996, scientists at the University of Helsinki found that children without caries, had very low levels of this bacterium. In contrast, children with caries had extremely high concentrations, as about 100 times higher.

Before the first tooth, about half of children aged 6 months and are infected with Streptococcus mutans.

According to research, at 24 months of age 84% of children had developed a considerable colony.

Factors associated with these cases were the intake of sweetened drinks at bedtime, taking too many sweet foods, snack between meals, sharing food with adults and a high presence of these bacteria in the mother.

By contrast, the absence of bacteria was associated mainly with regular brushing teeth.

Other causes that can be seen associated with dental caries:

Several factors can cause tooth decay.

The primary cause is a diet rich in sugars that help bacteria eat away the enamel, although, depending on the type of sugar, its incidence varies.

Other causes of dental caries are a bad dental hygiene, the absence of fluoride in the water and the gene itself, which as demonstrated cause tooth decay in some children are particularly sensitive to continue despite prophylactic correct habits.

While the bacteria S. Mutans is primarily responsible for tooth decay, have found other factors cavities that also show a correlation with this unexpected problem: complications during pregnancy or childbirth, premature birth or a cesarean section, maternal diabetes, kidney disease, Rh incompatibility , allergies, gastroenteritis and chronic diarrhea are common.
In addition, a diet high in salt and low in iron and pacifier use also seem to favor the development of caries.