Our cover story this week is on Dental  Disease. Teeth are a very important part of the human body. They are the body's hardest and most durable organ. Poor oral health can lead to pain and tooth loss and such other decay that affects one's self esteem and ability to eat properly.
Tooth decay is the disease of one's teeth resulting in damage to tooth structure. In the 1700s, Pierre Fauchard, the father of modern dentistry overturned an ancient belief that the throbbing pain of a toothache was caused by a worm - a toothworm, to be exact. Unfortunately the toothworm belief still persists among the uneducated rural poor and urban slum dwellers of some Afro-Asian countries. A popular illustrated history of dentistry explains that people of ancient times believed that the toothworm had appeared spontaneously or had bored its way into the mouth.
Dental caries always begins in the space in and around the teeth where food gets stuck. The food containing starch and sugar tends to adhere to the teeth and leads to excessive bacterial fermentation with the production of acids. The enamel is destroyed by the acid and calcium of the denture is dissolved. The remaining tissues in the teeth are then softened, leading to the formation of a cavity.
Years ago, diseased or damaged teeth were almost always removed. Today, modern dental techniques often make it possible to save the damaged teeth.