ISIFO sezinsini singesinye sezifo zomlomo ezande kakhulu emhlabeni. Noma kunjalo, uma lesi sifo sisaqala izimpawu zaso zingase zingabonakali ngokushesha. Le ngozi ecashile iwuphawu lwesifo sezinsini. Umagazini i-International Dental Journal, ubala isifo sezinsini phakathi kwezinkinga zomlomo eziwusongo “olukhulu empilweni yomphakathi.” Wenezela ngokuthi isifo somlomo singabangela “ubuhlungu obukhulu nokuhlupheka kubantu ngabanye nasemphakathini, kuphazamise nendlela umuntu adla ngayo futhi angabe esakujabulela ngokugcwele ukuphila.” Ukwaziswa okuphathelene nale nkinga egcwele umhlaba wonke, kungakusiza unciphise ingozi yokuphathwa yisifo sezinsini.

Kunezigaba ezihlukahlukene zesifo sezinsini. Isigaba sokuqala siwukuvuvuka kwazo. Ukopha kwezinsini kungaba uphawu lwalesi sigaba. Izinsini zingopha lapho uxubha, uvungula ngentambo, noma ngaphandle kwesizathu esicacile. Kanti ukopha nalapho zihlolwa udokotela wamazinyo kungaba uphawu lwale nkinga.

Isigaba esilandela esokuvuvuka kwezinsini, kuba isifo sezinsini. Kuleli qophelo, izingxenye zomlomo ezibambe amazinyo, njengamathambo emihlathi nezicubu zezinsini, kuqala ukuwohloka. Zingase zingabonakali izimpawu kulesi sigaba sesifo kuze kube yilapho sesisibi kakhulu. Ezinye izimpawu zaso kungaba ukuvuleka kwezinsini; ukuxega kwamazinyo; izikhala phakathi kwamazinyo; iphunga elibi emlonyeni; ukuhlehla kwezinsini emazinyweni, okwenza amazinyo abukeke emade; kanye nokopha kwazo.

Ziningi izici ezingaba nomthelela ekubeni nesifo sezinsini. Ungwengwezi lwamabhaktheriya oluhlale lwakheka emazinyweni luyimbangela evame kakhulu. Uma lolu ngwengwezi lungasuswa, amabhaktheriya angabangela ukuvuvuka kwezinsini. Njengoba le nkinga iqhubeka, amazinyo aqala ukuhlukana nezinsini, ngaleyo ndlela avumele ungwengwezi olunamabhaktheriya amaningi lungene luthi ukujula. Lapho nje amabhaktheriya esefinyelele kuleli qophelo, ukuvuvuka  kube sekubangela ukuwohloka kwamathambo emihlathi kanye nezicubu zezinsini. Ungwengwezi olusemazinyweni, kungaba yilolo olumaphezulu nezinyo noma ekujuleni kwezinsini, luyaqina lube uqweqwe noma ukugqwala kwamazinyo. Lolu qweqwe nalo lunamabhaktheriya, kanti ngenxa yokuthi luqinile futhi lunamathele emazinyweni, alusuki kalula njengoba kunjalo ngongwengwezi. Ngakho, amabhaktheriya angaqhubeka elimaza izinsini.

Kunezinye izinto ezingaba nomthelela ekubeni nesifo sezinsini. Lezi zingahlanganisa ukungahlanzeki komlomo, imithi ephazamisa ukusebenza kwamasosha omzimba, ukungenwa amagciwane, ukucindezeleka kwengqondo, isifo sikashukela esingasalawuleki, ukuphuza ngokweqile, ukubhema kanye nokushintsha kwama-hormone kowesifazane okhulelwe.

Isifo sezinsini singabangela nezinye izinkinga. Umlomo obuhlungu noma ukukhumuka kwamazinyo ngenxa yesifo sezinsini kungakwenza ungakwazi ukuhlafuna kahle futhi ungakujabuleli ukudla. Indlela okhuluma ngayo nobukeka ngayo ingashintsha. Kanti futhi ucwaningo lubonisa ukuthi ukuhlanzeka noma ukungahlanzeki komlomo kuyithinta yonke impilo yomuntu.

Wazi kanjani uma unesifo sezinsini? Ungase uphawule ezinye zezimpawu osekukhulunywe ngazo kakade kulesi sihloko. Uma kunjalo, kungaba ukuhlakanipha ukubonana nodokotela wamazinyo ongakuhlola izinsini.

Ingabe lesi sifo singelapheka? Uma le nkinga isaqala, ingalungiseka. Uma ithuthuka ize ibe isifo, khona-ke umgomo kungaba ukuyinqanda ngaphambi kokuba ilimaze amathambo emihlathi nezicubu ezizungeze amazinyo. Odokotela bamazinyo basebenzisa amathuluzi akhethekile akwazi ukususa ungwengwezi noqweqwe emazinyweni, kokubili engxenyeni yezinyo emaphezulu noma esekujuleni kwezinsini.

Ngisho noma ungenakukwazi ukuya kudokotela wamazinyo, umanqoba ekunciphiseni amathuba okuba nalesi sifo esingena ngokunyenya kodwa esiyingozi, ukusivimbela. Ukunakekela amazinyo njalo nangendlela efanele kuyindlela engcono kakhulu yokunciphisa amathuba okuba nesifo sezinsini.