What causes cavities? - Mel Rosenberg

Translator: Sari Rachmatika Reviewer: Katya A. Canakya

When a team of archaeologists recently came across

Saat satu tim Arkeologi menemukan

some 15,000 year-old human remains,

tulang manusia berumur 15.000 tahun belum lama ini,

they made an interesting discovery.

mereka mendapatkan temuan menarik.

The teeth of those ancient humans were riddled with holes.

Gigi manusia purba itu penuh dengan lubang.

Their cavities were caused by the same thing that still plagues us today,

Lubang itu disebabkan oleh hal yang sama dengan yang kita alami hari ini,

specific tiny microbes that live in our mouths.

yaitu mikroba kecil tertentu yang hidup di mulut kita.

These microbes are with us soon after birth.

Mikroba ini sudah ada begitu kita lahir.

We typically pick them up as babies from our mothers' mouths.

Kita biasanya tertular mikroba tersebut saat bayi, lewat mulut ibu kita.

And as our teeth erupt,

Dan ketika gigi kita tumbuh,

they naturally begin to accumulate communities of bacteria.

mereka secara alami mulai menghimpun sekumpulan bakteri.

Depending on what we eat,

Tergantung makanan kita,

and specifically how much sugar we consume,

khususnya berapa banyak gula yang kita konsumsi,

certain microbes can overpopulate and cause cavities.

mikroba tertentu bisa terlalu banyak dan menyebabkan gigi berlubang.

Diets high in sugary foods cause an explosion of bacteria

Mengonsumsi banyak makanan manis menyebabkan lonjakan bakteri

called mutans streptococci in our mouths.

yang disebut streptococcus mutans dalam mulut kita.

Like humans, these microorganisms love sugar,

Seperti manusia, mikroorganisme ini sangat suka gula,

using it as a molecular building block and energy source.

memakainya sebagai blok bangunan molekuler dan sumber energi.

As they consume it,

Saat mengonsumsi gula,

the bacteria generate byproducts in the form of acids,

bakteri menghasilkan produk sampingan dalam bentuk asam,

such as lactic acid.

seperti asam laktat.

Mutans streptococci are resistant to this acid,

Streptococcus mutans kebal dengan asam jenis ini,

but unfortunately, our teeth aren't.

tapi sayangnya, gigi kita tidak kebal.

While each human tooth is coated in a hardy, protective layer of enamel,

Meski tiap gigi manusia dilapisi lapisan pelindung enamel yang kuat,

it's no match for acid.

itu bukan tandingan asam.

That degrades the armor over time, leaching away its calcium minerals.

Asam merusak lapisan seiring waktu, melepaskan mineral kalsium.

Gradually, acid wears down a pathway for bacteria

Sedikit demi sedikit, asam membuka jalan untuk bakteri

into the tooth's secondary layer called the dentin.

menuju lapisan kedua gigi yang disebut dentin.

Since blood vessels and nerves in our teeth are enclosed deep within,

Karena pembuluh darah dan syaraf ada jauh di bagian dalam gigi kita,

at this stage, the expanding cavity doesn't hurt.

pada tahap ini, lubang yang meluas tidak terasa sakit.

But if the damage extends beyond the dentin,

Tapi jika lubang meluas sampai bawah dentin,

the bacterial invasion progresses

invasi bakteri bertambah

causing excruciating pain as the nerves become exposed.

menyebabkan sakit yang menyiksa karena syaraf gigi terekspos.

Without treatment, the whole tooth may become infected

Tanpa pengobatan, semua gigi mungkin terinfeksi

and require removal

dan butuh dicabut

all due to those sugar-loving bacteria.

semua karena bakteri penyuka gula itu.

The more sugar our food contains,

Semakin banyak gula dalam makanan kita,

the more our teeth are put at risk.

semakin berisiko nasib gigi kita.

Those cavemen would hardly have indulged in sugary treats, however,

Manusia purba tidak mungkin makan banyak jajanan bergula,

so what caused their cavities?

jadi apa penyebab gigi mereka berlubang?

In meat-heavy diets, there would have been a low-risk of cavities developing

Dalam pola makan padat daging, risiko gigi berlubang akan rendah

because lean meat contains very little sugar,

karena daging tanpa lemak mengandung kadar gula yang sangat kecil,

but that's not all our early human ancestors ate.

tapi bukan itu saja yang dimakan manusia purba.

Cavemen would also have consumed root vegetables, nuts, and grains,

Manusia purba juga memakan umbi-umbian, kacang, dan gandum,

all of which contain carbohydrates.

dan semua itu mengandung karbohidrat.

When exposed to enzymes in the saliva,

Saat bertemu dengan enzim di air liur,

carbohydrates get broken down into simpler sugars,

karbohidrat terpecah menjadi gula sederhana,

which can become the fodder for those ravenous mouth bacteria.

yang bisa menjadi makanan bagi bakteri mulut yang rakus sekali.

So while ancient humans did eat less sugar compared to us,

Jadi meskipun manusia purba makan sedikit gula dibanding kita,

their teeth were still exposed to sugars.

gigi mereka tetap terkena gula.

That doesn't mean they were unable to treat their cavities, though.

Itu bukan berarti mereka tidak bisa mengobati gigi berlubang.

Archaeological remains show that about 14,000 years ago,

Peninggalan arkeologis menunjukkan bahwa sekitar 14.000 tahun lalu,

humans were already using sharpened flint to remove bits of rotten teeth.

manusia sudah menggunakan batu tajam untuk mencabut bagian gigi yang busuk.

Ancient humans even made rudimentary drills

Manusia purba bahkan membuat bor sederhana

to smooth out the rough holes left behind

untuk menghaluskan lubang yang tertinggal

and beeswax to plug cavities, like modern-day fillings.

dan lilin lebah untuk menambal lubang, seperti tambalan modern.

Today, we have much more sophisticated techniques and tools,

Hari ini, kita punya sangat banyak teknik dan alat canggih,

which is fortunate because we also need to contend with our more damaging,

yang menguntungkan karena kita juga harus melawan gaya hidup

sugar-guzzling ways.

yang lebih merusak dan penuh gula.

After the Industrial Revolution, the human incidence of cavities surged

Setelah Revolusi Industri, serangan gigi berlubang melonjak

because suddenly we had technological advances

karena tiba-tiba ada kemajuan teknologi

that made refined sugar cheaper and accessible.

yang membuat gula halus lebih murah dan mudah didapatkan.

Today, an incredible 92% of American adults have had cavities in their teeth.

Kini 92% orang dewasa Amerika pernah mengalami gigi berlubang.

Some people are more susceptible to cavities due to genes

Beberapa orang rentan terjangkit gigi berlubang karena gen

that may cause certain weaknesses, like softer enamel,

yang bisa membuat kelemahan tertentu, misal enamel lebih lunak,

but for most, high sugar consumption is to blame.

tapi mayoritas penyebabnya adalah konsumsi gula tinggi.

However, we have developed other ways of minimizing cavities

Namun, kita mengembangkan cara lain untuk meminimalkan gigi berlubang

besides reducing our intake of sugar and starch.

selain mengurangi asupan gula dan tepung.

In most toothpastes and many water supplies,

Dalam mayoritas pasta gigi, dan banyak sumber air,

we use tiny amounts of fluoride.

kita menggunakan sedikit fluoride.

That strengthens teeth and encourages the growth of enamel crystals

Itu menguatkan gigi dan mendorong pertumbuhan kristal enamel

that build up a tooth's defenses against acid.

yang membentuk pertahanan gigi melawan asam.

When cavities do develop,

Saat lubang berkembang,

we use tooth fillings to fill and close off the infected area,

kita menggunakan isian gigi untuk mengisi dan menutup area yang terinfeksi,

preventing them from getting worse.

mencegahnya bertambah buruk.

The best way to avoid a cavity is still cutting down on sugar intake

Cara terbaik menghindari gigi berlubang adalah mengurangi asupan gula

and practicing good oral hygiene

dan merawat gigi higienis dengan baik

to get rid of the bacteria and their food sources.

untuk menyingkirkan bakteri dan makanan mereka.

That includes regular tooth brushing,

Itu termasuk rajin menyikat gigi,

flossing,

pembersihan benang,

and avoiding sugary,

menghindari yang manis,

starchy,

and sticky foods that cling to your teeth between meals.

bertepung,

dan kudapan yang lengket di gigi.

Gradually, the population of sugar-loving microbes in your mouth will decline.

Sedikit demi sedikit, populasi mikroba pecinta-gula dalam mulut Anda akan lenyap.

Unlike the cavemen of yesteryear,

Tak seperti manusia purba dulu,

today we have the knowledge required to avert a cavity calamity.

kini kita punya pengetahuan yang dibutuhkan untuk mencegah gigi berlubang.

We just need to use it.

Kita hanya perlu menggunakannya.