The Absolute Truth About Tooth Decay
Tooth Decay: Causes, Symptoms and Treatment
What is tooth decay?
Tooth decay causes damage to the tooth surfaces by affecting the enamel and dentine surfaces. It is caused by the acid produced by bacteria in our mouth, which affects the surfaces of tooth-like enamel and dentine, resulting in tooth decay (cavities) or a hole within the tooth.
What are the symptoms and signs of tooth decay?
Tooth Sensitivity: Sensitivity to hot and cold temperatures, sweets, and so on.
Staining – Brown stains on the surface of the tooth
Pit – which include visible holes and pits in the grooves and are sometimes detected by the dentist using radiographs,
Pus formations – are a type of chronic tooth decay that causes pus to form around the damaged tooth surface.
What are the causes of tooth decay?
Major causes of tooth decay
1.Sugary and sticky foods and drinks:
Dental plaque is a sticky substance or layer that binds to the teeth and is formed by a combination of bacteria, saliva, food particles, and acid released in our oral cavity. In our daily lives, we would like to eat 3–4 times per day, with a variety of sweet enamel surfaces (enamel), which is the hardest and most protective layer of the tooth.
- Too many sugary and acidic beverages in the diet :
A sugary and acidic diet contributes significantly to the formation of cavities. If you eat a sugary and high-carbohydrate diet and do not brush, food particles accumulate on the tooth surface, eroding the tooth and forming a cavity, so try to clean your teeth regularly, especially if you consume milk products, soda, drinks, chocolates, candy, sweets, cookies, and so on. -:
- Dry mouth:
Saliva is an excellent medium for cleaning the oral cavity and removing the plaque layer from the tooth surface. If the person has a dry mouth, the self-cleaning action will be ineffective, and more plaque buildup will occur.
- Poor oral hygiene:
Failure to maintain the two-times-a-day brushing and water flossing habit will increase plaque formation and attack the tooth enamel surface.
- Medical issues and acid reflux:
This can result in stomach acid eroding the tooth enamel surface and medical issues such as bulimia.
Tooth Decay Treatment Plan
Dentists will examine the condition clinically or radiographically and recommend a treatment plan based on the severity and involvement of tooth decay.
Fluoride treatment – If the decay is still in its early stages, the fluoride treatment will assist you in repairing the enamel itself.
Tooth filling – If you have deep decay, your dentist will remove the decay portion of your tooth and use filling material to restore the tooth’s structure.
If the decay extends to the Pulpal or nerve tissue area, the dentist will clean all of the decay and infected Pulpal area and restore the tooth by doing internal and occlusal fillings followed by a crown.
Extraction – In severe cases, if the tooth cannot be saved by root canal due to its chronic condition, the best dental surgeon in Pune, Dr. Ashish Gupta, will recommend tooth extraction.
How to Prevent Tooth Decay
Taking care of your teeth and oral health can help you avoid tooth decay and cavities.
Some important ways to keep your teeth healthy are:
- Brush your teeth at least twice a day with fluoridated toothpaste.
- To keep your gums healthy, use a water flosser.
- Snacking between meals should be limited.
- Reduce your intake of sugary and acidic foods such as candy, chocolate, soda, juice, sweets, and carbohydrates.
- Consume more calcium- and fiber-rich foods.
- No matter how busy you are, you should visit your dentist every 6 months for professional cleaning and polishing to remove plaque and calculus formation on the tooth surface.
Conclusion
Taking good care of your teeth in many ways you can keep your teeth healthy,this will help you prevent tooth decay and cavities. Always understand the importance of oral health and its causes, including how a single cavity can impact our oral health, For more details, you can contact us, the best dental surgeon in Pune and the best dentist in Pune, Dr. Ashish Gupta, for any query related to any oral health issue. call us -9923459984