WANTEDStreptococcus mutans

FOR causing cavities

REWARDFloss and a toothbrush

Description• Streptococcus mutans is a cylindrical shaped bacterium

that lives in the mouth.

• This bacterium survives in temperature ranging from 64-104 degrees Fahrenheit

• It is important to understand this because almost half of all dental visits are caused by Streptococcus mutans.

Last Spotted

Most Common Injury

Victims

Treatment and Prevention• Brush with proper technique twice a day.

Tilt brush at a 45° angle

Bristles should contact tooth and gum line

Brush behind your teeth

Brush biting surface of

teeth• Floss with proper technique daily.

Wind 18” of floss around

middle fingers

Hold floss tightly

between thumbs and forefinger

Curve floss in C shape

between gum and tooth

Guide floss tightly against

toothCavities are usually found in children and young adults. (This does not mean that adults will not get cavities, but they are at a lesser risk of getting cavities).

If your dentist discovers a cavity, he or she can repair it for you by first removing the rotted part of your tooth with a special drill. The dentist then fills the hole in your tooth with a special material. The result is called a filling.

Cavity. A cavity develops when a tooth decays, or breaks down. Cavities can also be called dental caries, and if you have a cavity, it’s important to get it repaired.

Does it hurt? Sometimes it does, but your dentist can give you anesthetic. That's a kind of medicine that will numb the area around the problem tooth while you're getting your new filling.

tooth, called the enamel.Eating candy frequently can also cause cavities because the sugar creates an acidic environment in the mouth.

• In the mouth we have streptococci plates that are found on all of our teeth.

• There are many other bacteria that live in our mouth. Streptococcus mutans, makes up thirty to sixty percent of the total bacteria living on the surfaces of human teeth, tongue, cheeks, and in saliva.

How does a cavity form? There is a slimy substance called plaque in the mouth which is made up of germs. Streptococcus mutans makes acids and together with the plaque, the acids can eat away at the outermost layer of the

Next to the common cold, cavities are the second most common of disorders occurring in people. 2.43 billion people worldwide are affected.

Today: in the US, 54 million, or 26 % of children aged two to seventeen have no cavities in their permanent teeth. In baby teeth, 60% of children under ten had no cavities. Past: 1971-1974, the percentage of children in the same age group had more than double the amount of cavities