A new study by researchers at the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Dentistry provides the first evidence that the body’s own defence system could be a major contributor to tooth decay and filling failure.

Published in biomedical journal Acta Biomaterialia last week, the study shows that the decay of dentin (that hard substance beneath the tooth’s enamel) and fillings is caused not just by bacteria alone – as has been the model understood by science for decades – but through the unique activity of oral immune cells known as neutrophils, which potentially enhance the effects of bacteria.

“No one would believe that our immune system would play a part in creating cavities,” says Associate Professor Yoav Finer, the lead author of the study and the George Zarb/Nobel Biocare chair in prosthodontics at the Faculty of Dentistry. “Now we have evidence.”

Recognized as important players in combating inflammation in all parts of the body, neutrophils are a type of short-lived innate immune system cell that enter the oral cavity from the gums around the roots of the teeth.

When bacteria invade the oral cavity, the body sends out neutrophils to attack. But as the neutrophils track down and destroy the invading bacteria, they may cause destruction to the localized environment as well as to the bacteria.

“It’s like when you take a sledgehammer to hit a fly on the wall,” Finer says. “That’s what happens when neutrophils fight invaders.”

It’s not just the force of the neutrophil invasion, however, but the byproducts of the attacks that cause the damage.

On their own, neutrophils are incapable of causing damage to the teeth, explains Finer: “They don’t have acid, so they can’t do much to mineralized tooth structures.”

But when neutrophils engage in attack, the acids produced by the oral bacteria demineralize the tooth. That’s when enzymes from both the immune cells as well as their targets rapaciously eat through teeth, and can also cause collateral damage to tooth-coloured fillings.

And it’s a speedy process: “Within hours,” the researchers found, dentin and tooth-coloured fillings sustain damage.

“It’s a collaboration of destruction – with different motives,” says study author Michael Glogauer, professor at the Faculty of Dentistry and acting chief dentist at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre.

Corroborating previous studies conducted by the group, the research could also explain why so many patients whose caries are treated with tooth-coloured fillings face high rates of recurrence of the disease. Most tooth-coloured fillings fail within five to seven years, costing Canadians an estimated $3 billion a year.

“Ours is the first basic study to show that neutrophils can break down resin composites (tooth-coloured fillings) and demineralize tooth dentin,” says master’s student and first author of the paper, Russel Gitalis. “This suggests that neutrophils could contribute to tooth decay and recurrent caries.”

Gitalis hopes the study will lead to new assessments for caries risk and treatment strategies.

While the study provides the first direct evidence that an immune response may contribute to tooth decay, it also opens up new avenues for research.

“We can develop new methods to prevent immune-mediated destruction of teeth,” says Glogauer.

The findings may also one day lead to new standards for testing filling materials, says Finer, who argues that materials need to face trial within the collaborative destruction lab to pass muster.

“We need to test interactions with the body and bacteria,” he adds.



https://dentalgist.ng/immune-system-is-potential-culprit-in-causing-cavities-damaging-fillings

The human body is honestly weak in almost every way when compared to wild animals.
The body is designed for intelligent thinking apart from that we are literally prey without our guns or weapons.

Neutrophils. I learnt something new today. God is really wonderful. All this happens without our control o

What of eating kpekus?

Hen hen....

Science is simply astonishing
And some folks believe in spiritual healing.

Solid research

I don’t believe it.
If there is a small chance of it being true I can honestly say a cocktail of sticky sugary foods will do more damage than one’s immune function can.
My first cavity was gotten not by increased stress (resulting in lowered cellular immunity) but by consuming chocolate bars every other day.

meobizy:
I don’t believe it.
If there is a small chance of it being true I can honestly say a cocktail of sticky sugary foods will do more damage than one’s immune function can.
My first cavity was gotten not by increased stress (resulting in lowered cellular immunity) but by consuming chocolate bars every other day.

Do you know more than science? You did not even understand the message

KingLennon:

Do you know more than science? You did not even understand the message

I hope you know there is more than one way to an outcome.

meobizy:

I hope you know there is more than one way to an outcome.

Yes we know. The researcher is not saying tooth cavity can't be gotten from what you stated above. But he is saying that the Immune system which fights it can caused it like leaving a scar after fighting it

coreon11:
Happy weekend Congrats to all my winners yesterday , let do more today , Call or WhatsApp.

Lol, why u no stake ur last winning on the new bet buy benz U still dey find buyers

i believe most white blood cells like neutrophils uses Reactive Oxygen species ( hydroperoxy, hydrogen peroxide) , lysosome as medium in destroying bacteria's and other pathogenic microbes in the body.

This ROS they use are free radicals , and free radicals are known for causing oxidative damage. So stimulation of immunocompetent cells to produce polymorphonuclear Neutrophils will lead to production of free radicals then decay of cavity, if its not properly regulated by cytokines and other growth factor

The research should have focused more on the bacteria that triggers the onslaught by the said neutrophils. How can we prevent it?

Wow...

Satan66:
The human body is honestly weak in almost every way when compared to wild animals.
The body is designed for intelligent thinking apart from that we are literally prey without our guns or weapons.

true.after i have seen what other animal can do and the ability they have. most animal can swin by default some can climb wall other can fly and some can run fast and most animal can see clearly at night.what about cat that animal can fall from heaven it would not die and they are fast too.when it come to human if not for our brain there would be nothing special about us because we are the most weak creature

I really don’t think this is true.

Westsida:
I really don’t think this is true.

Because it is a new study.

Mrluv:
true.after i have seen what other animal can do and the ability they have. most animal can swin by default some can climb wall other can fly and some can run fast and most animal can see clearly at night.what about cat that animal can fall from heaven it would not die and they are fast too.when it come to human if not for our brain there would be nothing special about us because we are the most weak creature

Besides the brain, we walk on 2 limbs and our forelimbs are free for doing other things. We walk upright and can see far around us. We see in colours, that helps us to enjoy beauty of nature.
Our language helps us to communicate better with each other. We are social and help each other out, defend our race better
Mention one animal that enjoy all this put together

Ameboperoo:

Besides the brain, we walk on 2 limbs and our forelimbs are free for doing other things. We walk upright and can see far around us. We see in colours, that helps us to enjoy beauty of nature.
Our language helps us to communicate better with each other. We are social and help each other out, defend our race better
Mention one animal that enjoy all this put together

There are various species of animals that can do this.
Lions fight and defend for each other in the same pride.
They can see at night as well.
Chimps do this as well. They defend each other and have the same structure with humans but their bodies and skin are far now tougher and stronger than ours.

Satan66:

There are various species of animals that can do this.
Lions fight and defend for each other in the same pride.
They can see at night as well.
Chimps do this as well. They defend each other and have the same structure with humans but their bodies and skin are far now tougher and stronger than ours.

If our body is as tough as that of chimp, how do we enjoy the softness of our women bodies and the warmth underneath. The ability to enjoy sex supercedes all other argument.

Only dolphin and humans have sex for pleasure. Others do it instinctually to procreatr

Goddys:

If our body is as tough as that of chimp, how do we enjoy the softness of our women bodies and the warmth underneath. The ability to enjoy sex supercedes all other argument.

Only dolphin and humans have sex for pleasure. Others do it instinctually to procreatr

Very stupid way of thinking.
This sex for "pleasure" has only brought about rape and prostitution.
If chimps were programmed to have sex for pleasure they'd still enjoy whether their skin were soft or strong.

meobizy:
I don’t believe it.
If there is a small chance of it being true I can honestly say a cocktail of sticky sugary foods will do more damage than one’s immune function can.
My first cavity was gotten not by increased stress (resulting in lowered cellular immunity) but by consuming chocolate bars every other day.

Sir, how did you fix the cavity ? I’m experiencing mine right away.

Hope for your response, thanks.

Tooshallpass:


Sir, how did you fix the cavity ? I’m experiencing mine right away.

Hope for your response, thanks.

I haven’t fixed mine because it is still very little. The only active approach I take is eat mostly natural foods, brush my teeth for longer than before and consume sugary foods sparingly.
It’s over seven years now and I don’t have any major pain linked to it.

meobizy:

I haven’t fixed mine because it is still very little. The only active approach I take is eat mostly natural foods, brush my teeth for longer than before and consume sugary foods sparingly.
It’s over seven years now and I don’t have any major pain linked to it.

Holy Jesus. Seven years or seven months ?

You mean you’ve actually been dealing with a hole in your teeth for about seven years now? Are you for for real like how’s it been like having a hole in a Teeth for seven years?