ESI SESONA sifo sixhaphakileyo ehlabathini. Esi sifo asidli ngakubonakala zibekwa xa sikuhlasela. Isifo seentsini sibonakala singenamsebenzi kodwa siyingozi. I-International Dental Journal idwelisa isifo seentsini phakathi kwezifo ekuthethwa ngazo “njengeziyingxaki empilweni.” Lo mbutho wongeza ngelithi “esi sifo sibangela umntu abe sezintlungwini, atyhafe, angakwazi ukutya aze angabonwabeli ubomi.” Ukwazi ngesi sifo sigqugqisayo kunganceda wena unciphise ukuba sengozini yaso.

Isifo seentsini sinamanqanaba ahlukahlukeneyo. Inqanaba lokuqala, ekuthiwa yigingivitis, kuxa iintsini zidumba. Kweli nqanaba ziye zophe iintsini. Oku kwenzeka xa uhlamba okanye uwavungula amazinyo okanye nje asuke ophe. Usenokopha naxa uxilongwa amazinyo ngugqirha yaye oko kusenokubonisa ukuba uqalwa sisifo sentsini igingivitis.

Isifo esiye silandele elinqanaba sibizwa ngokuba yiperiodontitis. Kweli inqanaba, amathambo omlomo kunye neeseli zeentsini, ziye ziqalise ukonakala. Esi sifo asidli ngakuba nazimpawu de sifikelele kwelinye inqanaba. Iimpawu eziye zibonakale kamva iba kukuvela kwezithuba phakathi kweentsini namazinyo, okanye amathambo, ukunukelwa ngumphefumlo, ukuhexa kwamazinyo nto leyo eyenza kophe iintsini.

Zininzi izinto ezinokongeza amathuba okuba nesifo seentsini. Ukukhula kwentsholongwane ezinyweni kungoyena nobangela uxhaphakileyo. Ukuba le ntsholongwane ayinyangwa isenokubangela ukuba iintsini zidumbe. Njengoko oku kuhambela phambili, iintsini ziyohlukana namazinyo, nto leyo evulela le ntsholongwane ithuba lokukhula ngaphantsi kwamazinyo. Xa sele ingenile le ntsholongwane, kulapho kuqalisa khona ukonakala kwamathambo neeseli zeentsini. Le ntsholongwane yamazinyo, enoba ingasentla okanye ngezantsi kwiintsini, inokubangela ukuba kubekho  inkunkqa emazinyweni okanye abole. Le nkunkqa yomeleyo igqunywa yintsholongwane kwaye ngenxa yokutshela kwayo emazinyweni, akululanga ukuyisusa. Ngoko ke, le ntsholongwane iye iqhubeke nokuzonakalisa kakhulu iintsini.

Zikhona nezinye izizathu ezinokubangela ukuba ube nesifo seentsini. Ezi ziquka ukungawaxukuxi kakuhle amazinyo, ukusela amayeza abangela ukuba amajoni omzimba angakwazi ukulwa kakuhle, izigulo ezibangelwa ziintsholongwane, ukutshintsha kwenkqubo yomzimba ngenxa yokukhulelwa, istres, xa isifo seswekile sesihambele phambili, ukusela utywala ngokugqithiseleyo, nokutshaya.

Isifo seentsini sinokubangela nezinye iingxaki. Ukuphunyelwa ngamazinyo ngenxa yesifo seentsini kungakwenza ungakwazi ukuhlafuna nokunandipha ukutya njengoko umlomo ubuhlungu. Esi sifo sibangela nokuba ungathethi kakuhle uze ujongeke ngenye indlela nalaph’ ebusweni. Uphando lubonisa ukuba xa unamazinyo abuhlungu lonto ichaphazela umzimba wonke.

Unokuzazi njani ukuba unesi sifo? Mhlawumbi ezinye zezi mpawu sithethe ngazo unokuzibona kumazinyo akho. Xa uzibona, kuya kuba bubulumko ukuya kugqirha wamazinyo yena oza kukuxilonga.

Ngaba siyanyangeka isifo seentsini? Xa sibonwe kamsinya esi sifo, singanyangeka. Xa esi sifo sifikelela kwimeko apho singanyangekiyo, nank’ undoqo, yiya koogqirha ukuze basinqande singade sonakalise amathambo nemisipha yamazinyo. Oompondo-zihlanjiwe boogqirha bamazinyo basebenzisa izixhobo zale mihla ezikwaziyo ukususa inkunkqa enokungcola ebasemazinyweni enokuba kungaphantsi entsinini okanye kungaphezulu.

Enoba uyakwazi okanye awukwazi ukuya koogqirha bamazinyo, kodwa onokukwenza kukuwakhathalela ngokuthi uwacoce kakuhle yonke imihla amazinyo akho ukuze usithintele esi sifo sibi.