Everything You Need to Know About Tooth Decay
What is tooth decay?
Tooth decay is when your tooth starts to break down. Sometimes you'll notice a hole in your tooth, or you might just start to see some white spots or feel some sensitivity.
Who causes dental decay?
Dental decay is caused by acids formed by the bacteria in our mouth. A lot of times, the bacteria consume sugars from our everyday diet, such as candy or carbohydrates. They break that down into acid, and that starts to break your tooth down.
What are the signs of tooth decay?
The signs of tooth decay would be really white chalky spots on your teeth, holes in your teeth, or you may begin to have sensitivity to cold or sugar. You might just feel something's a little bit off when you're eating.
The signs of tooth decay would be white chalky spots on your teeth, a hole in your tooth, or you may even start to have sensitivity, be it cold or sensitivity to sweets. There are some people who don't even feel anything at all.
What are the effects of teeth?
The effects of tooth decay can include having holes in your teeth, not being able to eat your food properly because you're avoiding the affected area, and tooth loss.
Can tooth decay lead to other complications?
Tooth decay can lead to other complications. The main ones are tooth loss, needing a root canal, or potentially an infection if the decay gets so large that it reaches the nerve of your tooth.
Can tooth decay return to normal?
Tooth decay, once it's reached a certain size, cannot return to normal. We call other lesions incipient lesions, meaning they're the beginning of a cavity and are located within the enamel of your tooth.
At that point, we try to use things like fluoride or hydroxyapatite to remineralize that structure so it does not progress to the point where we need to do some type of filling or other type of restoration on that tooth.
At what point is tooth decay irreversible?
The point at which tooth decay is irreversible is when it breaks through the enamel layer into the dentin. At that point, we need to do something about it.
What are some treatments for tooth decay?
Some treatments for tooth decay, if it's an incipient lesion, include using fluoride or hydroxyapatite, changing habits, and flossing to stop it from progressing.
If the cavity has progressed to the point where it needs a filling, we remove the soft part of the tooth until we get back to a healthy portion and fill it with a tooth-colored filling, also known as composite.
The best way to stop tooth decay from spreading is to treat the cavity and change the habits that led to it. Increase your flossing, watch your sugar intake, and make sure to brush before bed and when you get up in the morning.
When should you guys see a dentist about treating tooth decay?
You want to see your dentist about tooth decay as soon as possible. The best approach is to catch it before we even need to do a filling. If it's already progressed to that point, we want to take care of it sooner rather than later because the longer we let it go on, the bigger the cavity gets, and the more tooth structure we have to remove to stop that decay.
At Smiles of West Point, you come first. Whether you need dental care or simply have questions, call us at (804) 494-4382 or email [email protected] to schedule your visit. Our team is here to help you every step of the way.
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