Wednesday, April 7, 2010 as of 11:14 AM ET
Dental caries, also known as tooth decay or a cavity, is an infection, usually bacterial in origin, that causes demineralization of the hard tissues (enamel, dentin and cementum) and destruction of the organic matter of the tooth, usually by production of acid by hydrolysis of the food debris accumulated on the tooth surface .
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Most people spend a large chunk of their day parked in front of a computer.
While they type away, these office workers are shedding millions of bacteria. Who are the worst offenders? The men, a new study suggests."We know that there are bacteria everywhere, but we really don't know which kinds and what their main sources are," study researcher Scott Kelly, from the University of San Diego, told LiveScience. "We spend so much time in our offices, and we know so little about the microbes that live in them."Now we do. Kelly and his colleagues found high levels of bacteria that come from human skin and mucus membranes, as well as tons of bacteria from plants and soil when they sampled offices. The researchers also found tons of bacteria on phones and chair armrests.Swabbing the officeIn the fall of 2007, the researchers sampled bacteriafrom offices in New York, San Francisco and Tucson, Ariz. They tested three buildings per location, 10 offices in each building, for a total of 450 bact...Your smile is one of your best assets, so, of course, you want to keep it sparkling.But even if you brush, use white strips, and visit your dentist twice a year, it ...
How to prevent or treat the (sometimes painful) troubles that can lurk in your mouth. Problem: Tooth DecayAlso known as dental caries or cavities, tooth decay occurs...
No matter what your age, here's how to make sure you're in good health. 1. AudiogramWhy you need it: To find out if you are one of the more than 28 million Americans...
Did you know that of the 4 million children born each year, more than half will have cavities by the time they reach the second grade?In the May 2000 Surgeon General...
If your gums bleed when you brush your teeth you might have gingivitis. This gum disease is characterized by inflammation of the gums and can be painful if not taken...
The truth behind 13 physical quirks—plus easy ways to feel better1. Why Do You "Laugh Until You Cry?" Experts don't really know. One thing to consider: Laughing and ...
You don’t get a second chance with your adult teeth, so it is vital to take care of them. Dentists recommend that you brush your teeth for two minutes at a time at l...
As baseball spring training gets underway, it’s more important than ever to highlight the dangers of chewing tobacco, and to implore Major League Baseball , which la...
We joke about it, we rationalize weight gain because of it and it always gives us an excuse to have a second piece of cake for dessert: It's a sugar addiction.Most p...
The words coming out of your mouth are sweet, so why does everyone cringe and back away when you speak to them? Your mother would say it was your imagination, but th...
Higher payments to dentists who treat kids on Medicaid translate into more of those kids getting regular teeth cleaning, according to a new study.While that's positi...
Consider these solutions when dealing with those pesky pests. Do fair-skinned people really get bitten by mosquitoes more often? No. And neither do women nor redhead...
Alaska Native children in remote villages have rates of tooth decay about four times the national average, a government study showed.The study, which tracked dental ...
Choosing a sweetener has never been stickier. Here's a look at seven common ones.Sugar What it is: A natural, granular substance distilled from sugarcane or sugar be...
Preventive dental care from pediatricians and family doctors may help reduce the widespread problem of early childhood cavities in low-income kids, a new study finds...
A study revealed that the longer teenagers spend glued to the screen, the greater the impact on their dental hygiene.A propensity to wolf down sugary snacks and drin...
Dental cavities and tooth decay is one of the most common medical conditions experienced by Americans and the single most common disease of childhood. According to t...
Oral health problems such as cavities and gum disease are common but preventable for the most part. Many dental procedures aren't painful, but a simple examination c...
Fluoride in drinking water — credited with dramatically cutting cavities and tooth decay — may now be too much of a good thing. It's causing spots on some kids' teet...
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