7.3.3

Tooth Diseases

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Tooth Hygiene

Brushing your teeth helps keep your teeth healthy.

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Dental decay

  • Many bacteria live in the mouth and feed on trapped food particles.
  • The bacteria respire sugar in food and release an acid called plaque.
  • Plaque can build-up and cause tooth decay:
    • First the enamel breaks down, then the decay spreads down to more sensitive levels of the tooth causing tooth ache.
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Teeth care

  • Regularly brushing teeth with a toothpaste that contains fluoride helps remove trapped food and kills mouth bacteria, which stops the build-up of plaque.
  • Avoiding acidic foods and drinks (like fizzy drinks and fruit juice) also helps prevent tooth decay.

Jump to other topics

1Classification of Living Organisms

2Organisation of the Organism

3Movement Into & Out of Cells

4Biological Molecules

5Enzymes

6Plant Nutrition

7Human Nutrition

8Transport in Plants

9Transport in Animals

10Diseases & Immunity

11Gas Exchange in Humans

12Respiration

13Excretion in Humans

14Coordination & Response

15Drugs

16Reproduction

17Inheritance

18Variation & Selection

19Organisms & Their Environment

20Human Influence on Ecosystems

21Biotechnology & Genetic Modification

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