TedTest

From the Ted Talk by Mel Rosenberg: What causes cavities?

Unscramble the Blue Letters

When a team of archaeologists recently came across some 15,000 year-old human remains, they made an interesting discovery. The teteh of those ancient humans were riddled with holes. Their cavities were caeusd by the same thing that still plagues us today, specific tiny microbes that live in our mouths. These morcibes are with us soon after birth. We tcpilylay pick them up as babies from our mothers' mouths. And as our teeth erupt, they naturally begin to amcatluuce communities of bacteria. Depending on what we eat, and siealcicfply how much sugar we consume, certain microbes can overpopulate and cause cavities. Diets high in sugary foods cause an explosion of bacteria called munats streptococci in our muthos. Like humans, these microorganisms love sugar, using it as a molecular building block and egnery source. As they consume it, the bacteria generate byproducts in the form of acids, such as lactic acid. Mutans sccortptceoi are resistant to this acid, but unfortunately, our teeth aren't. While each human tooth is coated in a hrady, protective layer of enamel, it's no match for acid. That degrades the armor over time, leaching away its calcium minerals. Gradually, acid wears down a pathway for bacteria into the tooth's secondary layer called the dentin. Since blood vessels and neervs in our teeth are enclosed deep within, at this satge, the expanding cavity doesn't hurt. But if the dmaage extends beyond the ditnen, the bacterial invasion progresses causing excruciating pain as the nerves become exposed. Without treatment, the whole tooth may become infected and require removal all due to those sugar-loving bacteria. The more sugar our food contains, the more our teeth are put at risk. Those cevamen would hardly have indulged in sugary ttaers, however, so what caused their cavities? In meat-heavy diets, there would have been a low-risk of cavities developing because lean meat contains very little sugar, but that's not all our early human ancestors ate. Cavemen would also have consumed root vegetables, nuts, and grains, all of which contain carbohydrates. When exeopsd to enzymes in the saliva, carbohydrates get broken down into simpler sugars, which can become the fodder for those ravenous mouth bcitarea. So while ancient humans did eat less suagr compared to us, their teeth were still exposed to sugars. That doesn't mean they were unable to treat their cavities, though. Archaeological remains show that about 14,000 years ago, humans were already using sharpened flint to remove bits of rotten teeth. Ancient humans even made rniadterumy drills to smooth out the rough holes left behind and beeswax to plug cavities, like modern-day fillings. Today, we have much more siticaehtspod techniques and tools, which is fortunate because we also need to ctonned with our more damaging, sugar-guzzling ways. After the Industrial Revolution, the human incidence of cavities seugrd because suddenly we had thacgenoloicl advances that made refined sugar cheaper and acilsecsbe. Today, an incredible 92% of ameciran adults have had cavities in their teeth. Some poelpe are more susceptible to cavities due to genes that may cause certain weaknesses, like softer enamel, but for most, high sugar consumption is to blame. However, we have developed other ways of minimizing cavities besides reducing our itakne of sugar and starch. In most toothpastes and many wtaer supplies, we use tiny amounts of fiuodrle. That sthenentgrs teeth and encourages the growth of enamel crystals that build up a tooth's denefses against acid. When caietivs do develop, we use tooth fillings to fill and close off the infected area, preventing them from getting worse. The best way to aovid a cavity is still cutting down on sugar intake and practicing good oral hygiene to get rid of the bacteria and their food sources. That includes regular tooth bhisnrug, fsonlsig, and avniiodg sugary, starchy, and sticky foods that cling to your teeth between meals. Gradually, the population of sugar-loving microbes in your motuh will decline. Unlike the cavemen of yesteryear, taody we have the knowledge required to avert a cavity cmlaaity. We just need to use it.

Open Cloze

When a team of archaeologists recently came across some 15,000 year-old human remains, they made an interesting discovery. The _____ of those ancient humans were riddled with holes. Their cavities were ______ by the same thing that still plagues us today, specific tiny microbes that live in our mouths. These ________ are with us soon after birth. We _________ pick them up as babies from our mothers' mouths. And as our teeth erupt, they naturally begin to __________ communities of bacteria. Depending on what we eat, and ____________ how much sugar we consume, certain microbes can overpopulate and cause cavities. Diets high in sugary foods cause an explosion of bacteria called ______ streptococci in our ______. Like humans, these microorganisms love sugar, using it as a molecular building block and ______ source. As they consume it, the bacteria generate byproducts in the form of acids, such as lactic acid. Mutans ____________ are resistant to this acid, but unfortunately, our teeth aren't. While each human tooth is coated in a _____, protective layer of enamel, it's no match for acid. That degrades the armor over time, leaching away its calcium minerals. Gradually, acid wears down a pathway for bacteria into the tooth's secondary layer called the dentin. Since blood vessels and ______ in our teeth are enclosed deep within, at this _____, the expanding cavity doesn't hurt. But if the ______ extends beyond the ______, the bacterial invasion progresses causing excruciating pain as the nerves become exposed. Without treatment, the whole tooth may become infected and require removal all due to those sugar-loving bacteria. The more sugar our food contains, the more our teeth are put at risk. Those _______ would hardly have indulged in sugary ______, however, so what caused their cavities? In meat-heavy diets, there would have been a low-risk of cavities developing because lean meat contains very little sugar, but that's not all our early human ancestors ate. Cavemen would also have consumed root vegetables, nuts, and grains, all of which contain carbohydrates. When _______ to enzymes in the saliva, carbohydrates get broken down into simpler sugars, which can become the fodder for those ravenous mouth ________. So while ancient humans did eat less _____ compared to us, their teeth were still exposed to sugars. That doesn't mean they were unable to treat their cavities, though. Archaeological remains show that about 14,000 years ago, humans were already using sharpened flint to remove bits of rotten teeth. Ancient humans even made ___________ drills to smooth out the rough holes left behind and beeswax to plug cavities, like modern-day fillings. Today, we have much more _____________ techniques and tools, which is fortunate because we also need to _______ with our more damaging, sugar-guzzling ways. After the Industrial Revolution, the human incidence of cavities ______ because suddenly we had _____________ advances that made refined sugar cheaper and __________. Today, an incredible 92% of ________ adults have had cavities in their teeth. Some ______ are more susceptible to cavities due to genes that may cause certain weaknesses, like softer enamel, but for most, high sugar consumption is to blame. However, we have developed other ways of minimizing cavities besides reducing our ______ of sugar and starch. In most toothpastes and many _____ supplies, we use tiny amounts of ________. That ___________ teeth and encourages the growth of enamel crystals that build up a tooth's ________ against acid. When ________ do develop, we use tooth fillings to fill and close off the infected area, preventing them from getting worse. The best way to _____ a cavity is still cutting down on sugar intake and practicing good oral hygiene to get rid of the bacteria and their food sources. That includes regular tooth ________, ________, and ________ sugary, starchy, and sticky foods that cling to your teeth between meals. Gradually, the population of sugar-loving microbes in your _____ will decline. Unlike the cavemen of yesteryear, _____ we have the knowledge required to avert a cavity ________. We just need to use it.

Solution

specifically
typically
sugar
people
defenses
fluoride
mouths
contend
avoiding
strengthens
damage
surged
dentin
rudimentary
flossing
avoid
nerves
energy
water
teeth
treats
mutans
sophisticated
intake
streptococci
mouth
today
cavities
calamity
accessible
accumulate
exposed
american
brushing
cavemen
caused
hardy
bacteria
microbes
stage
technological

Original Text

When a team of archaeologists recently came across some 15,000 year-old human remains, they made an interesting discovery. The teeth of those ancient humans were riddled with holes. Their cavities were caused by the same thing that still plagues us today, specific tiny microbes that live in our mouths. These microbes are with us soon after birth. We typically pick them up as babies from our mothers' mouths. And as our teeth erupt, they naturally begin to accumulate communities of bacteria. Depending on what we eat, and specifically how much sugar we consume, certain microbes can overpopulate and cause cavities. Diets high in sugary foods cause an explosion of bacteria called mutans streptococci in our mouths. Like humans, these microorganisms love sugar, using it as a molecular building block and energy source. As they consume it, the bacteria generate byproducts in the form of acids, such as lactic acid. Mutans streptococci are resistant to this acid, but unfortunately, our teeth aren't. While each human tooth is coated in a hardy, protective layer of enamel, it's no match for acid. That degrades the armor over time, leaching away its calcium minerals. Gradually, acid wears down a pathway for bacteria into the tooth's secondary layer called the dentin. Since blood vessels and nerves in our teeth are enclosed deep within, at this stage, the expanding cavity doesn't hurt. But if the damage extends beyond the dentin, the bacterial invasion progresses causing excruciating pain as the nerves become exposed. Without treatment, the whole tooth may become infected and require removal all due to those sugar-loving bacteria. The more sugar our food contains, the more our teeth are put at risk. Those cavemen would hardly have indulged in sugary treats, however, so what caused their cavities? In meat-heavy diets, there would have been a low-risk of cavities developing because lean meat contains very little sugar, but that's not all our early human ancestors ate. Cavemen would also have consumed root vegetables, nuts, and grains, all of which contain carbohydrates. When exposed to enzymes in the saliva, carbohydrates get broken down into simpler sugars, which can become the fodder for those ravenous mouth bacteria. So while ancient humans did eat less sugar compared to us, their teeth were still exposed to sugars. That doesn't mean they were unable to treat their cavities, though. Archaeological remains show that about 14,000 years ago, humans were already using sharpened flint to remove bits of rotten teeth. Ancient humans even made rudimentary drills to smooth out the rough holes left behind and beeswax to plug cavities, like modern-day fillings. Today, we have much more sophisticated techniques and tools, which is fortunate because we also need to contend with our more damaging, sugar-guzzling ways. After the Industrial Revolution, the human incidence of cavities surged because suddenly we had technological advances that made refined sugar cheaper and accessible. Today, an incredible 92% of American adults have had cavities in their teeth. Some people are more susceptible to cavities due to genes that may cause certain weaknesses, like softer enamel, but for most, high sugar consumption is to blame. However, we have developed other ways of minimizing cavities besides reducing our intake of sugar and starch. In most toothpastes and many water supplies, we use tiny amounts of fluoride. That strengthens teeth and encourages the growth of enamel crystals that build up a tooth's defenses against acid. When cavities do develop, we use tooth fillings to fill and close off the infected area, preventing them from getting worse. The best way to avoid a cavity is still cutting down on sugar intake and practicing good oral hygiene to get rid of the bacteria and their food sources. That includes regular tooth brushing, flossing, and avoiding sugary, starchy, and sticky foods that cling to your teeth between meals. Gradually, the population of sugar-loving microbes in your mouth will decline. Unlike the cavemen of yesteryear, today we have the knowledge required to avert a cavity calamity. We just need to use it.

Frequently Occurring Word Combinations

ngrams of length 2

collocation	frequency
ancient humans	3
mutans streptococci	2

Important Words

accessible
accumulate
acid
acids
adults
advances
american
amounts
ancestors
ancient
archaeological
archaeologists
area
armor
ate
avert
avoid
avoiding
babies
bacteria
bacterial
beeswax
birth
bits
blame
block
blood
broken
brushing
build
building
byproducts
calamity
calcium
called
carbohydrates
caused
causing
cavemen
cavities
cavity
cheaper
cling
close
coated
communities
compared
consume
consumed
consumption
contend
crystals
cutting
damage
damaging
decline
deep
defenses
degrades
dentin
depending
develop
developed
developing
diets
discovery
drills
due
early
eat
enamel
enclosed
encourages
energy
enzymes
erupt
excruciating
expanding
explosion
exposed
extends
fill
fillings
flint
flossing
fluoride
fodder
food
foods
form
fortunate
generate
genes
good
gradually
grains
growth
hardy
high
holes
human
humans
hurt
hygiene
incidence
includes
incredible
indulged
industrial
infected
intake
interesting
invasion
knowledge
lactic
layer
leaching
lean
left
live
love
match
meals
meat
microbes
microorganisms
minerals
minimizing
molecular
mouth
mouths
mutans
naturally
nerves
nuts
oral
overpopulate
pain
pathway
people
pick
plagues
plug
population
practicing
preventing
progresses
protective
put
ravenous
reducing
refined
regular
remains
removal
remove
require
required
resistant
revolution
rid
riddled
risk
root
rotten
rough
rudimentary
saliva
secondary
sharpened
show
simpler
smooth
softer
sophisticated
source
sources
specific
specifically
stage
starch
starchy
sticky
strengthens
streptococci
suddenly
sugar
sugars
sugary
supplies
surged
susceptible
team
techniques
technological
teeth
time
tiny
today
tools
tooth
toothpastes
treat
treatment
treats
typically
unable
vegetables
vessels
water
ways
weaknesses
wears
worse
years
yesteryear