Tooth decay is one of the most common diseases today and can appear in both children and adults. Many people believe that the cause of this disease is tooth decay and this information has been circulated for many years. Let’s find out with BIK International Dentistry through the article below to see if the concept of tooth decay is true to scientific reality or not!
1. What is a tooth decay?
Information about tooth decay appeared a long time ago, around 5000 years BC. The Sumerians mentioned tooth decay a lot in some texts and they believed that the cause of tooth decay in humans was “tooth decay”.
In addition, around 1500 years BC, ancient Chinese texts also mentioned tooth decay as an animal that attacked human teeth. Some other theories suggest that tooth worms are Guinea worms or Dracunculus Medinensis worms. These tooth worms will enter the human body through water contaminated with worms and begin to attack, causing damage to tooth enamel.
2. Are tooth worms real?
According to ancient beliefs, tooth worms are organisms that live mainly inside the mouth, their mechanism of action is to bore and erode the tooth roots, thereby creating uncomfortable pain. And they are also the main cause of tooth decay in humans. Therefore, there are many opinions that to treat tooth decay, you only need to catch the tooth worms.
But according to scientific research, there are no actual cavities. Instead, dental experts explain that cavities are the process of fermenting carbohydrates by Streptococcus mutans bacteria, creating acid and reducing the pH to below 5.
Once the pH level continuously decreases, it will lead to demineralization on the tooth surface, and the tartar in the hard tissues on the teeth will also disappear, causing black holes to appear, which is called cavities.
If the patient does not know how to properly clean their teeth and eats a lot of foods containing sugar, plaque will form. This will create extremely favorable conditions for S-Mutans bacteria to develop, attack and parasitize the tooth enamel.
Currently, it is easy to find pictures and videos online proving cavities posted by traditional healers to make people believe that cavities are real. However, this is a trick to sell medicine, contrary to science, targeting people with tooth decay.
3. How to get rid of tooth decay at home
In the past, when the health system across the country was not yet developed and the economy was still facing many difficulties, many people researched ways to catch tooth decay at home using herbs and simple materials. Currently, in some remote areas, these methods are still being applied, affecting health. The following is an explanation of some folk ways to catch tooth decay.
3.1. How to catch tooth worms with seeds
The method of catching tooth worms with black seeds is called by traditional healers as a “family secret” way to treat tooth decay. This method is done by preparing a few black seeds, placing them on a hot brick and placing an upside-down funnel on top. The person with tooth decay will have to hold the funnel in their mouth so that the smoke can enter the oral cavity. In just a short period of time, according to the healers, the tooth worms will automatically fall out and the treatment of tooth decay is completed.
In reality, this method is actually a scam by unscrupulous and unprofessional healers, who use black seeds of unknown origin. These are actually peppercorns split in half, inside there will be white fibers that look like tooth worms. When exposed to high temperatures, these seeds will separate from the seeds and fall out, making many people think they are tooth worms.
3.2. How to catch tooth worms with perilla leaves
With the method of catching tooth worms with perilla leaves, the herbalists will crush a handful of washed young perilla leaves to extract the juice. Then, drop the perilla leaf juice just collected into the patient’s eyes so that the water flows down the nose and into the mouth. The perilla leaf juice will be continuously dropped into the eyes by the herbalists until the tooth worms crawl out.
However, according to facial experts, the white object crawling out of the patient’s eyes is not actually a tooth worm as the herbalists said. These are fibrin fibers (Fibrin fibers) that form white fibers due to the conjunctiva of the eye reacting with the essential oil from perilla leaves, making many people think they are tooth worms. This is an unscientific method that not only does not cure tooth decay but also affects the eyes, impairs vision and can even lead to blindness.
3.3. How to catch tooth worms by inhaling the smoke of burning Henbane seeds (Thien tien tu)
In medieval England, tooth decay was treated by inhaling the smoke of burning Henbane seeds (Thien tien tu). This is a poisonous plant that causes dizziness and delirium even if you eat a small amount. The method of catching tooth worms is done by burning the seeds of the plant. The person with tooth decay will inhale the smoke from this poisonous plant and the tooth worms will fall out of the mouth.
However, the ash of the seeds of the plant when burned will look like white worms, making many people think that it is a tooth worm. In addition, the plant also has the ability to anesthetize and reduce pain, making many people believe that the tooth worm has been caught and the disease has been cured.
Above are some ways to catch tooth worms at home that have not been scientifically proven to be effective and can also cause dangerous complications for the human body. Therefore, people with tooth decay should not follow these ways of catching tooth worms. If you discover that you have tooth decay, visit a dental facility for proper treatment.
4. How to treat tooth decay at the dentist
Tooth decay is a disease that causes a lot of pain and discomfort for the patient. Below are some tooth decay treatments at the dentist that you can refer to to completely and effectively treat tooth decay:
– Treat tooth decay with Flour: When applied directly to the teeth, Flour can remineralize, fill tiny cavities to help treat and prevent tooth decay. This method is often prescribed for patients with new cavities and mild conditions.
– Tooth filling: The dentist will clean and fill the decayed tooth area and protect the pulp with specialized filling materials such as Amalgam, Composite resin, etc.
– Root canal treatment: This is a method indicated for severe cases of tooth decay that affect the nerves. At this time, doctors will perform a root canal.
– Tooth extraction: If the tooth decay is too severe, the dentist will have to extract the decayed tooth and then restore it with dental implants or a dental bridge.
Thus, tooth decay is not actually real, but tooth decay is caused by the fermentation of carbohydrates by Streptococcus mutans bacteria, which creates acid and reduces the pH, thereby naturally losing tartar. Patients should not follow folk methods of catching tooth decay, but should go to dental facilities to be examined and treated by specialized doctors.
