Dental Cavities also referred to as “dental caries” are the pore or holes in the teeth resulting due to the damage caused to the” tooth enamel” and layer underneath it known as “dentin.” It is one of the most common reasons leading to the tooth loss.
Reasons Leading to Dental Cavities
Large amount of bacteria is normally present in our mouth. When this bacteria combines with the food; especially sugar or starch rich food and saliva, produces a sticky material called plaque. When this plaque starts getting accumulating on the hard tooth enamel, it starts damaging it and produces pits and holes in the tooth i.e. cavities. For this reason dental caries or cavities are also known as “dietobacterial” disease.
Signs and Symptoms of Dental Cavities:
- Toothache
- Sensitivity to sweet, hot and cold foods and drinks
- Light or discolored spots on the teeth
Prevention of Dental Cavities: To prevent cavities, oral hygiene is required. It includes:
- Consistent professional cleansing session
- Brushing twice a day
- Daily flossing
- Rinsing your mouth with anti-bacterial mouth wash, every time, you eat sugar or starch rich food
- Using fluoride tooth paste or mouth wash
- Avoid or reduce consuming sugar or starch rich diet
Treatments: Early and timely treatment can prevent further damage or tooth loss or decay. Treatments advised and followed by dentists involves:
- Dental Fillings: During the procedure, dentists remove the decayed material by drilling it out and filling the tooth with silver, gold alloy, porcelain or composite resin.
- Crowning or Capping: If the pore or hole is large enough and there is limited tooth structure, dentists after removing the decayed material covers or crowns the remaining one with the ceramic inlay or artificial crown.
- Root Canal: At times, not the visible part but the inert part of the tooth i.e. nerve in the tooth dies, in such cases, dentists advise for root canal. Here the damaged nerve along with blood vessel tissue is removed and the root is replaced with some sealing material.
Contact Bikram Singh, D.M.D. Carry NC for comfortable and pain free dental treatment. We offer exceptional personalized care by developing and executing patient- oriented treatment plans. We not only treat your current ailments but also educate you about preventing further deformities.