All About Dental Cavities - Causes and Treatment

One of the most common dental problems is dental cavity which, if left untreated, might lead to dental infections, tooth decay, and severe toothache. Over time, dental cavities might expand and affect the deeper layers of your enamel. Therefore, regular dental visits and good care of your oral health are necessary.

If you have a dental cavity and want to gain information on the same before visiting your dentist, this article is the answer. In this piece, we will discuss all about the tooth cavity, its causes, and treatment procedures.

Dental cavities are holes in your teeth that form when bacteria, acids, plaque, and tartar in your mouth wear down your tooth's enamel. Also known as dental caries, they cause tooth decay and damage. This can further cause severe toothache and might lead to tooth extraction.

Cavities happen due to poor dental hygiene and can occur at any age. Therefore, regular brushing, flossing, and visiting your dentist is a must as this will prevent dental caries.

A cavity might affect all the layers of your tooth. However, it takes time for a cavity to form in the enamel or the strong outer layer of your teeth. It progresses relativelyfaster through your dentin to the pulp, thus damaging your teeth. Here are the types of dental caries:

1. Decay In Pit and Fissure

The pit and fissure decay develop from a tender age and progresses as you grow. As a result, dental caries or cavities might commonly form on your tooth's upper chewing surface. It might also affect the front section of your back teeth.

2. Wearing Down Smooth Surface

Cavity grows slowly and dissolves your tooth's enamel, wearing down its smooth surface. So, you might notice broken and chipped teeth which seem aesthetically unpleasant. Often you will see people at the age of twenty experiencing this type of dental caries in between their enamels.

3. Tooth Root Decay

If you have older adults at home, you will notice they have receding gumlines susceptible to tooth-root decay. Receding gums expose your tooth to acid and plaque. However, if you have decay in your teeth, it is hard to treat.

Here are the common causes of dental caries:

• Formation of Plaque: Plaque is a sticky coat on your teeth that happens when you consume sugar and starchy food. Bacteria start to thrive on them, forming plaques. When plaques harden enough, they form tartars. Tartars make a shield on the bacteria and are very difficult to remove.
• Plaque Attacks: Plaques in your teeth's enamel tend to eliminate the mineral components causing small holes, which is the first stage of the cavity. As the layers of the enamel wear away, acid and bacteria enter the dentin or the next layer of your teeth. Dentin is a soft layer and less resistant to acid. Additionally, the dentin directly connects your tooth's nerves, and cavity attacks might lead to sensitivity.
• Tooth Decay: As your tooth decay progresses, the acid and bacteria move towards your pulp that contains the blood vessels and nerves. As a result, the pulp swells due to irritation caused by bacteria. Since there is no space for the swollen pulp to expand inside your tooth, it presses the surrounding nerves causing severe pain. This discomfort often extends to the external sections of your tooth root, irritating the bones.
• Improper Brushing and Flossing: If you do not clean your teeth after every meal, plaques will form on them, leading to tooth decay. Generally, tooth decay occurs in your molars and premolars as these sections have a lot of pits, crannies, and grooves. In addition, food particles and debris tend to gather easily in these sections, causing decay.
• Not Rinsing Properly: Rinsing your mouth properly after every meal is necessary to get rid of food particles. However, not using fluoride-rich mouthwashes to rinse your mouth might lead to the early stages of dental caries.
• Dry Mouth: Saliva helps in washing away plaque and food debris from your teeth. Additionally, saliva helps counter the acids produced by bacteria inside the mouth. However, lack of saliva causes dry mouth or thrush and might lead to tooth decay.
• Worn-out Dental fillings: As the dental fillings weaken and break, you will notice rough edges in your tooth. This makes it easier for plaques to build up and harden to form tartar. Also, certain dental devices might stop fitting appropriately, allowing tooth decay to develop again.
• Eating Disorder: Tooth cavity might happen due to anorexia and bulimia. In addition, repeated and frequent purging causes stomach acids to wash onto your teeth and can wear out your enamels, causing cavity attacks. Now that you know what a dental cavity is, let's discuss the symptoms of the same that help you diagnose the problem.

The signs and symptoms of dental caries are diagnosed depending on their location and severity. At an early stage, you might not develop any symptoms at all. But as the cavity gets larger, you will notice the following:

• Sudden pain that might occur without any cause.
• Sharp pain while eating or drinking anything hot or cold.
• Extreme tooth sensitivity causing discomfort.
• Black or brown stains on your tooth surface.
• Severe pain when you bite down on something.
• Holes and pits on your enamel that are visible.
• Tooth abscess, inflammation, or pus around the gums and teeth.
• Problem while chewing food.
• Chipped, damaged, or broken teeth.
• Loss of tooth.
• Several gum diseases, including bleeding gums.
• Dental infections causing facial swelling.

Furthermore, cavities can be diagnosed at a dental clinic when:

• You visit the clinic twice a year for regular dental check-ups and cleanings.
• Your dentist uses advanced tools and mechanisms to examine your teeth. Cavity-affected teeth will appear softer when your dentist examines them.
• A dental X-rays is done to show cavities.

Some tips to prevent cavities are:

1. Proper Brushing and Flossing

Brushing after meals twice a day using fluoride-based toothpaste and a soft-bristled toothbrush will help deeply clean your teeth. In addition, you can use an interdental cleaner to clean and floss in between your teeth.

2. Rinse Properly

When your dentist detects that you have a higher risk of cavity attacks, he will suggest you use fluoride-based mouthwash for rinsing. Rinse your mouth properly after every meal. You can also use lukewarm saltwater to rinse your mouth.

3. Dental Sealants

A dental sealant is a protective plastic coat your dentist applies to your teeth to help you chew. Dental sealants seal the corners and pits of your teeth that collect food debris. Thus, plaque and acid do not attack the enamel.

4. Avoid Sugar and Starch

You must avoid food and drinks that contain sugar and starch to prevent bacteria from thriving on them. However, you can have unsweetened beverages such as tea and coffee.

5. Regular Dental Check-ups

Visiting your dentist regularly will ensure you get professional dental cleanings and regular oral check-ups. This will ward off the chances of cavity attacks or any other dental disease.

Tooth cavity treatment includes the following:

1. Dental Filling

Dental fillings include a single or a combination of materials used for teeth restoration, such as metals, plastics, glass, etc. An effective cavity treatment, dental fillings fill up the area of your tooth that is affected by cavity.

2. Dental Crowns

Dental crowns are small tooth-shaped caps to cover up your damaged tooth. Crowns can be made of metal or porcelain and maintain the shape, size, strength, and appearance of your enamel.

3. Root Canal Treatment

Your dentist might suggest a root canal procedure when cavities damage the tooth nerves. Here, they remove the blood vessel tissues, decayed sections of your tooth, and the nerve tissue. After checking for infections, your dentist will recommend medicines to you accordingly.

4. Fluoride Treatment

If your dentist discovers a cavity in your teeth at an early stage, they might suggest fluoride treatment to ensure restoration of your enamel. This will reduce the chances of further tooth decay.