I Have What In My Mouth?!

As most of you know, the human mouth contains bacteria. How much bacteria and what types of bacteria might surprise you. For every milliliter of saliva, there are roughly 100 million individual bugs in our mouth, compromising over 600 different species. Most bacteria are harmless, and some are even beneficial. The most common bacteria that effects tooth decay are Staphylococcus mutans and Staphylococcus sanguis. These bacteria eat the same food that we do, digest it and release acid as a byproduct. This acid dissolves minerals in our teeth and lead to cavities. Porphyromonas gingivalis is bacteria that affects our gums and leads to gum disease.

So what do these bugs like to eat? Mostly everything, but specifically carbohydrates (sugars) that are easily digestible. Not only that, within 2 minutes of eating, say a cookie or a banana, the pH level in your mouth drops from a mostly neutral level to an acidic level! That is how fast these guys work. There is a sugar that these bacteria cannot digest. That sugar is called Xylitol and you can find it in many chewing gums and mints (and in most of your toothpaste). So next time you're buying gum at your Walgreens, look for that ingredient. Getting back to your mouth, the more times in the day you eat, the more fluctuations you have in the acidity level in your mouth. So try to snack less if possible.

By brushing and flossing daily, along with your hygiene recall schedule at your Dentist, we can help fight against the bacteria that cause cavities and gum disease!