Oral Bacteria – Good Or Bad?

A look at how bacteria can be beneficial to us along with some potential problems for our oral health.

When we eat food, most of us think little about it other than how good (or not) it tastes. We chew it without thinking and swallow it, leaving our bodies to do the rest. It is such a natural thing that, like walking, we just ‘do’ it rather than analyse what we are doing. The thing is though, that chewing alone is only part of the digestive process and tiny microscopical bacteria also play an important part as we will see. They can also cause problems too and we will take a look at that in a minute.

When bacteria levels in our mouth are well balanced, everything should run smoothly, but when they are not, problems can arise and you may require the help of one of our experienced Burton dentists. Let us take a look then at the wonderful world of bacteria.

The ‘positives’ of bacteria

The bacteria in our mouths are, if you like, a first form of defence. As we consume or breathe in, any problematic microbes can be attacked by these bacteria and help to prevent them from entering further into the body where they might cause more harm. These bacteria play a positive role in our maintaining a good level of health overall.

One of the most important roles that oral bacteria play is in the breaking down of our food and the starting of the digestive process. It is sometimes said that you should chew your food twenty times before you swallow it. Even if you don’t do this, it will help to think about chewing more than you usually do. This not only breaks down the fibres in the food but allows bacteria in the saliva to start to break it down even more. To feel this in action, put some food in your mouth that wouldn’t usually melt, perhaps a nut or a piece of meat. Hold it there for a while and you will notice that it softens and starts to break down. This is the saliva doing its work. If bacteria is allowed to break food down before swallowing, you are likely to gain nutritionally and it will also help to avoid problems like bloating, gas, indigestion and heartburn.

When bacteria levels are balanced, this will help to provide a stable level of acidity in your mouth which will help to protect your teeth and gums. We will see in the next section, what happens when this doesn’t occur.

Problems caused by an imbalance in oral bacteria

Before we look at the problems that an imbalance of bacteria can cause patients of SG Dental and Implant Centre, let us take a brief look at how this might happen.

As you might expect, the factors that cause this imbalance are also ones that tend to contribute to problems for our teeth and gums. These include a high sugar diet, smoking, alcohol, along with medical factors such as a poor immune system, medication and general illnesses. These can lead to an increase in the number of bacteria and the oral health issues that might follow which we will look at now.

Gum disease

Readers of our blogs will probably already be aware that when bacteria start to increase, this poses a risk to the health of our gums. When combined with a reduction in saliva, such as when we have been drinking and wake up with a dry mouth, this is likely to lead to gum disease. While this can usually be reversed and effectively managed as long as it is caught in its early stages, advanced gum disease, also known as periodontitis, can cause significant problems including potentially, loose teeth or even tooth loss. Improving the balance of bacteria in our mouth can be assisted by a better diet, improved brushing and flossing and a professional clean, known as a ‘scale and polish’ which is carried out by our Burton dental hygienist.

Tooth decay

When in balance, bacteria still produce acids that attack the tooth enamel as they feed from sugars in our diet. Normally, this can be controlled by our saliva and brushing our teeth. When the number of bacteria increases though, the acidity levels rise and become difficult to control. This means that the enamel on our teeth may become damaged and this can lead to problems like tooth decay, erosion and even root canal infections.

Halitosis

Although some bad breath can come from the gums when we have gum disease, bacteria also expel gases as they feed off the sugar in our mouth. If you think of this in terms of ‘bacterial flatulence’ it isn’t hard to imagine how pungent this can be and how it can isolate us socially, as people tend not to want to stand or sit too close to you when you are speaking.

Infections

Finally, the more bacteria that are present, the more likely it is that gums and other oral soft tissues might become infected. This can lead to soreness, inflammation and even abscesses. These can potentially become serious if they enter the body and are best avoided by maintaining a healthy mouth.

As part of the battle to keep oral bacteria under control, patients need to be aware of what they eat and drink and how that can affect their teeth and gums. Brushing and flossing is essential too as well as seeing our dental hygienist every six months. If you would like more information on any of the things mentioned in today’s blog or would like to make an appointment at our Burton practice, please call the SG Dental and Implant Centre today on 01283 845345.