Your mouth is a breeding place for bacteria. There is more bacteria in your mouth than anywhere in your body, even more then on a public toilet seat. Gross. Just think about it; it's warm, cosy, and wet and with a constant supply of food it couldn't be more welcoming.
Mouth environment
This doesn't mean it's all bad news however, in fact it's vital we have these conditions! If it weren't for the wetness of saliva we wouldn't be able to control the acid levels in all the nooks of our mouths. If it wasn't for the warmth we couldn't breakdown food with enzymes and clean our tongue to make sure we can taste all that lovely food. But with the good comes the bad and unfortunately we are on a daily battle to keep the bad bacteria at bay.
Good and bad bacteria
In our mouths we have a huge array of bacteria, a colony of big and little, good and bad. Some of these bacteria are pretty nasty, causing gum disease and breaking down your tooth structure! This is actually one of the main and most important reasons for why we brush our teeth.
Invisible film of bacteria
When we sleep and throughout the day the bacteria begin to take residence, they form a thick layer which grows in evilness the longer it's left. This invisible film of bacteria (called plaque) that covers your tooth and on the top of your gum line can start causing issues within 24 hours of being left. It's like a house party that gets out of control, the longer it goes on before the police (toothbrush) get involved and break it up the more trouble is caused.
The final stage of decay
But like us, bacteria can not cause damage/live without nutrients. Bacteria feed off sugar nutrients and when they process these they excrete an acid which causes weakening of the surface of the tooth. Eventually with multiple acid attacks we get a micro break in the tooth and bacteria can enter the tooth and start causing decay inside the tooth. This then leads to the need for a filling or even if left too long a root canal or extraction.
