What is tooth decay?
When you hear the words tooth decay, it's essentially another term for cavities. You have an infection growing in your teeth caused by bacteria in the mouth. Everyone has bacteria in their mouth, some good, some bad. The ones that cause cavities or tooth decay are the bad ones.
What causes dental decay?
Dental decay occurs when the amount of bacteria in your mouth, or rather the damage caused by the bacteria, is greater than your teeth's ability to reform the outer parts, called the enamel. Everybody has bacteria in their mouth and one of the most common causes of tooth decay is bacteria.
What are the signs of tooth decay?
On the surface, tooth decay is often undetectable when small. This is one of the reasons we take x-rays, to spot tooth decay at an earlier stage. Tooth decay often starts in places such as the spaces right in between the teeth which we can't see very well. If tooth decay progresses, we can see it because teeth will either change color or parts of the tooth will change shape or break off. If it gets really bad, holes in your teeth will start to appear.
What are the effects of tooth decay?
One of the most significant negative effects of tooth decay is that it starts to break down your teeth. You'll see holes forming in your teeth, or parts of the tooth become soft or rough. Healthy teeth are strong, solid, and smooth. When tooth decay is present, they'll feel rough or bumpy, or if taken to the extreme, parts of the tooth will start to fall away or crumble.
Can tooth decay lead to other complications?
Tooth decay can definitely lead to other complications if it's not treated or taken care of. One of the biggest things that it can lead to, at least when taken to the extreme, is that you can lose your tooth. On an earlier stage, if we are able to catch it earlier, usually a part of the tooth will be damaged or infected. If we are able to catch it, sometimes we can just remove the part that's infected and hopefully save the majority of your tooth so that you don't have to lose it.
Can tooth decay return to normal?
Unfortunately, once tooth decay starts, we can't reverse it. The only way that it can be removed from your tooth is that it either has to be scooped or drilled out. Usually, in those cases, obviously part of the tooth will now be missing. In order to fix the problem, we have to either put in a filling, or if the tooth decay was present on multiple surfaces on the tooth, a crown or even a root canal may be indicated.
What are some treatments for tooth decay?
A lot of the treatment for tooth decay depends on when we catch the tooth decay in your tooth, at what stage, and how much tooth decay is present on the tooth. If not that much decay is present, then a lot of times we can remove the infected part of your tooth and then put a filling in. If a lot of tooth decay is present on the tooth, or multiple surfaces of your tooth have been infected with tooth decay, then a crown may be indicated in order to protect the tooth and keep it strong and stable. If the tooth decay was present for a long time and it went really deep into your tooth, it's possible that a root canal may be needed in order to clean out your nerve in the middle of your tooth. And of course, unfortunately, if tooth decay takes over the majority of your tooth, a lot of times the tooth can't be saved and it needs to be taken out. Fortunately, there are options to replace your tooth. One of the biggest ones is implants. Another option for replacing your tooth are bridges.
How do I stop tooth decay from spreading?
One of the best ways to prevent tooth decay from spreading, or even starting in the first place, is to be really good about maintaining your oral hygiene at home. What that means is brushing on a regular basis, flossing on a regular basis, making sure you rinse your mouth out after you eat or drink anything really, but especially sugary foods. One of the biggest problems with sweet foods is that obviously they contain sugar. The bacteria in your mouth love to eat this sugar. And so when there's more sugar present in your mouth, the bacteria will eat it and they'll grow in number and in size. And so basically, the more bacteria there are, the more they can infect your teeth and lead to tooth decay.
When should I see a dentist about treating tooth decay?
If you suspect that you have tooth decay, you should definitely see your dentist as soon as possible. There are a couple of signs that you might notice. One of the first signs that people with tooth decay will notice is that their teeth will feel sensitive, either to biting, to hot, or to cold. Now, just because you have sensitivity in your teeth doesn't necessarily mean that there's tooth decay present, but one of the first signs of people that have tooth decay is definitely biting or temperature sensitivity. Another thing that people will notice is also they might have pain, either spontaneously or, like I said, when they bite or eat or drink. If any of those cases apply to you, please call our office as soon as possible. Our number is (916) 848-2145.