Cavities are a prevalent dental problem that affects people of all ages. In fact, 91% of Americans have had a dental cavity at some point in their lives, and a staggering 27% of those have untreated cavities that they are unaware of.
What are Cavities in Teeth?
Simply put, a cavity is nothing more than a small hole in a tooth’s hard surface. Cavities in teeth arise when common bacteria in the mouth form a sticky covering on the teeth’s surface called plaque, which turns the sugar we eat into acid. By removing the minerals that make our enamel strong, this acid wears down and erodes our teeth. The acid will begin dissolving the dentin layer beneath the surface once the protecting enamel has been breached, causing a cavity.
A pre-cavity is damage to the tooth’s enamel that occurs before microorganisms reach the inner dentin layer. Pre-cavities are the earliest indicator of a disease and can be detected by your dentist during routine dental examinations. Preventative steps can still be implemented during this critical period. Once a cavity has progressed past the pre-cavity stage, appropriate treatment becomes essential because untreated cavities in teeth can eventually cause the pulp of the teeth to deteriorate, resulting in much more serious diseases such as infections, discomfort, and even tooth loss.
How to Get Rid of Cavities?
While tooth loss or infection may appear to be a serious issue, dealing with cavities in teeth before they reach the point of no return is simple. However, you won’t be able to get rid of any cavities on your own. Once a cavity has formed, there is only one tried and proven way to get rid of it: a trip to the dentist.
Once a cavity has reached the inner dentin layer of a tooth, there is no way to treat it. The only definite way to get rid of such a dental cavity and avoid it from spreading is to go to your dentist and have them perform a filling procedure on the affected region.
To start the procedure or dental filling, a local anaesthetic is injected by the dentist to numb the area around the decaying tooth or teeth to be treated. The gums and jaw around the teeth are also numbed by the anaesthesia.
The dentist eliminates the decay inside the cavity during the dental filling operation. A drill is used for this. The decay is removed, which prevents additional harm to the tooth.
The dentist next fills the decayed section of the tooth with a filling to replace the part of the tooth that has been destroyed. The procedure utilized to apply the filling is determined by the type of filling you have chosen to get.
At Fine Dentistry, we educate our clients about preventative measures to avoid tooth decay and cavities in teeth. We also provide treatment for removing cavities through dental fillings. To learn more about our services or book an appointment, please call or visit our clinic.