The very thought of visiting an endodontist for treating and fixing a dental cavity could send shivers down your spine. The root canal treatment procedure for filling a cavity (to prevent the tooth from further decay) can be painful. Once one of our endodontists at Bryant Park Endodontics has diagnosed a cavity, he’ll perform a non-toxic composite dental filling procedure that takes time.
Understanding what causes tooth decay that leads to cavities will enable you to appreciate the different treatment techniques for the same. This blog deals with all about cavities; what is a cavity, the causes behind the issue, who’re susceptible to it, diagnosis, and treatment processes. Your teeth are not immune to damage despite being the hardest matter in the body.
We tell our patients that cavities arise from decaying of the tooth, which in turn happens because of tooth damage. Tooth decay adversely affects the dentin (the tooth’s inner surface) as well as the enamel (the outer layer). When you consume carbohydrate-rich foods, including cakes, candies, cereals, and milk, oral bacteria convert these into acids.
The saliva in your mouth combines with food fragments, acids, and bacteria to become plaque, which sticks to your teeth. The caustic action of the plaque corrodes the enamel, leading to the formation of cavities.
The process of tooth decay
Your cravings for processed and sweet foods stimulate microorganisms in the mouth to secrete acids which attack and corrode the enamel. Enamel is the hard, external layering of the teeth that safeguards the latter from decay. Enamel can undergo damage and decay due to the corrosive effects of acids that bacteria release when they break down sucrose.
All and any carbohydrate food coalesce with bacteria to change into acids which cause minerals within the teeth to break up. A dental caries gash or abrasion is the first stage of a cavity that happens when the acids start acting on the enamel. Using fluoride-based toothpaste or drinking fluoridated water regularly can help prevent a caries laceration from turning into a cavity.
How we at Bryant Park Endodontics diagnose cavities?
Our dentists conduct a diagnosis for cavities usually when they conduct a routine dental checkup. Our endodontist carry out a thorough inspection of the dental structure and the mouth. We also want to know whether the patient experiences any tooth sensitivity or pain; we use a range of instruments and tools for determining soft areas on the teeth.
We take radiographic images (X-rays) of the affected area to ascertain the amount of decay or the intensity of the cavity. After we’re through with the inspection, we inform the patient about the cavity type-whether it is root, pit, and fissure or smooth surface cavity.
How we treat cavities?
We always recommend patients to opt for periodic checkups to detect cavities or any dental issue. Our endodontists suggest patients that the earlier they opt for a checkup, the better are their chances of preventing tooth decay. We recommend an appropriate treatment procedure based upon the intensity or severity of the condition.
The main types of procedures we normally conduct for dealing with cavities are fluoride treatment, crown installation, fillings (dental restoration), root canal procedure, and tooth extraction.
Get in touch with our customer care at Bryant Park Endodontics for scheduling an appointment with one of our endodontists. You can call us at 646-205-3045 or visit our website, youngbuidds.com.
References
- https://crest.com/en-us/oral-health/conditions/enamel/tooth-enamel-loss-erosion-repair<
- https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/cavities/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20352898
- https://bigthink.com/laurie-vazquez/everything-you-need-to-know-about-cavities-and-why-theyre-nothing-to-fear
- >https://www.colgateprofessional.com/education/patient-education/topics/caries/all-about-cavities
- https://www.webmd.com/oral-health/guide/dental-health-cavities#1