What causes cavities? - Mel Rosenberg

Prevodilac: Mirjana Čutura Lektor: Tijana Mihajlović

Kada je grupa arheologa nedavno naišla

When a team of archaeologists recently came across

some 15,000 year-old human remains,

na ljudske ostatke stare nekih 15 000 godina,

they made an interesting discovery.

došli su do zanimljivog otkrića -

The teeth of those ancient humans were riddled with holes.

zubi ovih drevnih ljudi su bili prekriveni rupama.

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

Njihov karijes je bio prouzrokovan onim što nas muči i danas,

specific tiny microbes that live in our mouths.

određenim majušnim mikrobima koji žive u našim ustima.

Ovi mikrobi su sa nama ubrzo nakon rođenja.

These microbes are with us soon after birth.

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

Obično ih kao bebe pokupimo iz majčinih usta.

And as our teeth erupt,

Kako nam zubi izbijaju,

they naturally begin to accumulate communities of bacteria.

prirodno počinju da akumuliraju kolonije bakterija.

Depending on what we eat,

U zavisnosti od toga šta jedemo

and specifically how much sugar we consume,

i naročito koliko šećera unosimo,

certain microbes can overpopulate and cause cavities.

određeni mikrobi se mogu prenamnožiti i izazvati karijes.

Diets high in sugary foods cause an explosion of bacteria

Ishrana bogata slatkom hranom izaziva eksploziju bakterija

called mutans streptococci in our mouths.

pod nazivom mutans streptokoke u našim ustima.

Like humans, these microorganisms love sugar,

Kao i ljudi, ovi mikroorganizmi vole šećer

using it as a molecular building block and energy source.

i koriste ga kao molekularni gradivni blok i izvor energije.

As they consume it,

Dok jedu šećer,

the bacteria generate byproducts in the form of acids,

bakterije stvaraju nusproizvode u obliku kiselina,

such as lactic acid.

kao što je mlečna kiselina.

Mutans streptococci are resistant to this acid,

Mutans streptokoke su otporne na ovu kiselinu,

but unfortunately, our teeth aren't.

ali, nažalost, naši zubi nisu.

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

Iako je svaki ljudski zub obložen otpornim zaštitnim slojem gleđi,

it's no match for acid.

ona ne može da se nosi sa kiselinom

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

koja vremenom slabi zaštitni sloj i rastapa minerale kalcijuma.

Kiselina postepeno utire put bakterijama

Gradually, acid wears down a pathway for bacteria

into the tooth's secondary layer called the dentin.

u drugi sloj naših zuba koji se zove dentin.

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

Pošto su krvni sudovi i živci u našim zubima usađeni duboko,

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

u ovom stadijumu, karijes koji se širi nas ne boli.

But if the damage extends beyond the dentin,

Ipak, ako se oštećenje proširi dalje od dentina,

the bacterial invasion progresses

invazija bakterija napreduje

causing excruciating pain as the nerves become exposed.

i izaziva nepodnošljiv bol dok živci postaju izloženi.

Without treatment, the whole tooth may become infected

Bez lečenja se ceo zub može inficirati

and require removal

i vađenje može biti neophodno,

all due to those sugar-loving bacteria.

a sve zbog tih bakterija-šećeroljubaca.

The more sugar our food contains,

Što više šećera naša hrana sadrži,

the more our teeth are put at risk.

naši zubi su više izloženi riziku.

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

Ipak, malo je verovatno da su ti pećinski ljudi uživali u slatkišima.

so what caused their cavities?

Pa, od čega su oni dobijali karijes?

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

U ishrani bogatoj mesom postojao je veoma mali rizik za nastajanje karijesa

because lean meat contains very little sugar,

jer posno meso sadrži veoma malo šećera,

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

ali to nije sve što su naši preci jeli.

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

Pećinski ljudi su takođe konzumirali korenasto povrće, koštunice i žitarice,

koje sve sadrže ugljene hidrate.

all of which contain carbohydrates.

When exposed to enzymes in the saliva,

U kontaktu sa enzimima iz pljuvačke

carbohydrates get broken down into simpler sugars,

ugljeni hidrati se razgrađuju na proste šećere,

which can become the fodder for those ravenous mouth bacteria.

koji mogu postati hrana onim proždrljivim bakterijama iz usta.

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

Iako su drevni ljudi zaista jeli manje šećera u poređenju sa nama,

their teeth were still exposed to sugars.

njihovi zubi su ipak bili izloženi šećeru.

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

To ipak ne znači da nisu bili sposobni da leče karijes.

Archaeological remains show that about 14,000 years ago,

Arheološki ostaci pokazuju da su pre 14 000 godina

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

ljudi već koristili naoštren kremen za uklanjanje delova trulih zuba.

Ancient humans even made rudimentary drills

Drevni ljudi su čak pravili rudimentarne bušilice

to smooth out the rough holes left behind

da bi poravnali hrapave rupe koje bi nastajale

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

i pčelinji vosak za punjenje rupa koji je bio nalik modernim plombama.

Today, we have much more sophisticated techniques and tools,

Danas imamo prefinjenije metode i alate,

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

što je dobro jer moramo da se borimo

i protiv naših štetnih prehrambenih navika i opsesije šećerom.

sugar-guzzling ways.

Nakon Industrijske revolucije pojava karijesa kod ljudi se jako povećala

After the Industrial Revolution, the human incidence of cavities surged

because suddenly we had technological advances

jer smo odjednom imali tehnološka otkrića

that made refined sugar cheaper and accessible.

koja su omogućavala da prerađeni šećer bude jeftiniji i dostupan.

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

Danas neverovatan procenat od 92 posto odraslih Amerikanaca ima karijes.

Neki ljudi su podložniji karijesu zbog gena

Some people are more susceptible to cavities due to genes

that may cause certain weaknesses, like softer enamel,

koji mogu da prouzrokuju izvesne slabosti kao što je mekša gleđ,

but for most, high sugar consumption is to blame.

ali, u večini slučajeva, unošenje velikih količina šećera je krivac.

However, we have developed other ways of minimizing cavities

Ipak, razvili smo druge načine smanjenja nastajanja karijesa

besides reducing our intake of sugar and starch.

osim smanjenja unošenja šećera i skroba.

In most toothpastes and many water supplies,

U većini pasta za zube i mnogim vodovodima

we use tiny amounts of fluoride.

koristimo male količine fluorida.

That strengthens teeth and encourages the growth of enamel crystals

To ojačava zube i podstiče razvoj kristala gleđi

koji grade odbrambeni sistem zuba protiv kiseline.

that build up a tooth's defenses against acid.

When cavities do develop,

Kada se karijes pojavi

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

koristimo plombe da popunimo i zatvorimo inficirano područje,

preventing them from getting worse.

čime sprečavamo pogoršanje.

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

Najbolji način da se izbegne karijes je, i dalje, smanjivanje unosa šećera

and practicing good oral hygiene

i dobra higijena zuba

to get rid of the bacteria and their food sources.

da bismo se rešili bakterija i njihovih izvora hrane.

That includes regular tooth brushing,

To uključuje redovno pranje zuba,

flossing,

upotrebu konca za zube

and avoiding sugary,

i izbegavanje šećera,

starchy,

and sticky foods that cling to your teeth between meals.

skroba

i lepljive hrane koja se zadržava na zubima između obroka.

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

Kolonije mikroba-šećeroljubaca u vašim ustima će se postepeno smanjiti.

Unlike the cavemen of yesteryear,

Za razliku od pećinskih ljudi iz prošlosti

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

danas posedujemo znanje potrebno

da se izbegne katastrofa vezana za karijes.

We just need to use it.

Treba samo da ga upotrebimo.