All You Need To Know About Dental Cavities

Cavities are another name for tooth decay. Tooth decay is a serious dental issue that harms the teeth, creating a hole in the tooth surface.

First, for a tooth to be susceptible to decay, the bacteria must adhere themselves to the tooth.

When you eat something, bacteria in your mouth break it down into simple sugars. These sugars are then used by the bacteria as an energy source. As the sugars are broken down by the bacteria, they produce acid in the mouth.

They do this by combining with proteins in saliva and food debris, forming a layer on the tooth which is known as plaque.

Bacteria are very fond of easily digestible foods, sugary foods and anything processed.

The bacteria in your mouth and the food you eat are the main factors involved in the creation of a cavity.

Soon after a meal, bacteria excrete an acid. This acid then starts to dissolve and soften our enamel. Every acid attack constitutes a small removal of tooth enamel.

Every time you eat anything, you are feeding the bacteria in your mouth, which in turn produce acids.

The tooth is able to re-mineralize these dissolved areas when the plaque is removed, allowing the tooth to recalcify the depleted area.

Mechanical removal of the plaque facilitates the health of your teeth. This is the role brushing and flossing play in prevention of cavities.

The typical “acid attack” during the morning hours is tempered by the presence of saliva in our mouths.

The saliva, being much less acidic, dilutes the acid and reduces its strength and therefore it effectiveness in dissolving teeth.

If you are constantly eating, it doesn’t allow your saliva time to bring the pH of your mouth back into a more alkaline state.

Your teeth’s best defense against cavities is actually your saliva.

However, our mouths stop producing saliva after we have fallen asleep, allowing the bacteria to inflict their severest attack to the teeth.

So if have pieces of food stuck between your teeth all day and night, that is causing this problem. This is why your dentist recommends flossing and brushing before bedtime.

If you do decide to drink a soft drink or eat something sugary, have it all at once and not over the course of the day.

If you don’t treat your cavity, it could get worse. Untreated tooth decay could lead to infection, severe pain, and even tooth loss.

Cavities are much easier and far less invasive and painful to treat than more advanced kinds of tooth decay, like root canal damage.

Nobody wants a root canal. Take care of your teeth before that happens. It’s quicker than you think.

It’s best to prevent cavities as much as possible or treat them right away.

Dentists in Delhi are following a systematic protocol of 6 monthly reminders for patients to come for regular dental checkups so that a cavity can be detected and treated at an incipient stage.

The signs that are involved in cavity formation include tooth sensitivity to hot and cold things, a persistent toothache or pain when chewing. Sometimes you can see pits or holes in your teeth.

When you notice these symptoms, it’s important to schedule an appointment with your dentist as soon as possible.

That way you can reduce your risks of having a bigger and more infected cavity.

How Cavities Are Treated

Cavities are fairly simple to treat in a visit to the dentist. Dentist in India would be able to find cavities during a regular dental checkup.

The basic treatment is a filling, which involves cleaning the decayed part of the tooth and replacing that hole or “cavity” with a strong filling made of composite, silver, gold, or amalgam.

A filling is a material that seals and disinfects the cavity. This restores your damaged tooth back to its regular shape.

More extensive decay requires more advanced techniques like crowns and root canals.

How to Prevent Cavities

The goal is preventing disease, because once you have it, it’s hard to stop it.

Maintaining the good oral health we are all born with is much easier than letting it go and then treating it.

Gums that contain the sugar substitute xylitol in particular have been shown in studies to reduce cavities. Xylitol fights cavity-causing bacteria prevents bacteria from breaking down sugars into acids and prevents the formation of plaque on teeth.

Dentists in dental clinics in Delhi suggest all their patients the use of sugar free chewing gums as a great alternative to oral care.

Rinsing your mouth with water every time you eat or snack, brushing your teeth post breakfast and post dinner, having sugar free (xylitol) chewing gums are some basic things that can clean out your mouth and prevent damage.

If you think you might have a cavity, it’s important to act quickly. Ignoring the issue will only make things worse. Your dentist will provide you with the right solution to your problem.

Posted by- Dr Shriya