The most common dental problems – dental cavities, tooth decay or whatever you like to call them, are the boogie man that scare us when we are children, but also when we become adults.
Let’s make a common front against cavities!
Simple cavities reach as deep as the dentine, but when they go down to the dental pulp, the nerve is already affected and we are heading towards an endodontic treatment of the root canal. That’s why it’s a good idea to act quickly on it, not to let dental decay evolve until the tooth becomes too damaged.
Fortunately, we stop cavities from advancing and give back your dental health. With small or large dental fillings, perfectly finished to the shape of your tooth, using a dental microscope.
A simple dental filling (without root treatment) can be made when the dental decay stage is still incipient and hasn’t affected the dental pulp.
The first signs of dental decay can be whitish spots on the tooth, these being enamel demineralisation areas. The whitish area will then evolve into a brownish spot – the moment when cavities may appear on the surface of the tooth.
Dental decay treatment consists of total removal of the tissues affected by cavities and the isolation of healthy tissues with quality physiological fillings.
When the tooth has suffered too much from the dental decay and the mastication surface is affected, we recommend ceramic onlays instead of the classical composite filling. They offer increased resistance to pressure during chewing, are suitable for molars and are resistant to staining and coloration.
Another solution for teeth that are too affected by dental decay is the dental crown. It replaces the degraded natural crown and covers the tooth, providing more stability and resistance.
Even if you care for your teeth, you still see new cavities appearing. You should keep in mind that the appearance of dental decay is determined by three main factors:
• The microbial flora
• The genetic factor
• Food – especially sugar
You can keep the microbial flora in check with good teeth care, healthy diet and fewer carbohydrates. Unfortunately, the genetic factor is the only one about which you have nothing to do.
Let’s take the symptoms, in order of how visible and problematic they are:
At first brown or black spots appear on the tooth. It would be advisable to go to the dentist already at this stage.
Then a painful, sour or cold pain occurs, that stops rapidly after the stimulus is removed.
Finally, the carious process extends, and a hard to overlook hole appears in the tooth. The sharp edges of the cavity can cause discomfort to the tongue or cheeks.
Our advice – do not postpone dental treatment because caries will extend to the pulp and leaving no choice but to remove the tooth’s pulp and apply endodontic treatment.
Here are some simple rules to protect your teeth enamel:
• consumes acidic beverages with a straw and avoid coming in to contact with your teeth
• after a meal, drink milk or eat a little cheese to neutralize the acid
• rinse your mouth with water for 30 seconds or chew sugar-free gum to stimulate the production of saliva
• most importantly – after you have eaten foods or soda drinks, brush your teeth after an hour. Thus, they have time to regain their mineral content.
The fillings are necessary when we treat the tooth because in their absence dental decay extends to the nerve, and from there the only solution is root canal treatment.
If treatment of the tooth is postponed, there is the risk that the only solution will be the tooth extraction. The extended the cavity is, the more difficult the process becomes, involving the intervention on the root canals to save the tooth. The operation is thus more expensive and it takes longer to be made.
The filling materials are also used in the restoration of a chipped tooth.
