Dental Caries & Fillings

Our oral cavity has a very unique combination of bacteria. The bacteria that cause dental caries already exist in our mouth. As soon as we eat any sugary food products, it may get stuck on surface of some teeth, until it is removed through brushing or rinsing. The bacteria start converting this sugar to acid which helps in demineralisation and breakdown of enamel. Although it takes a long time for the bacteria to “burrow” through enamel, once it reaches dentin the decay starts spreading very rapidly in lateral direction. This further weakens the surrounding enamel. It eventually leads to formation of a cavity. Hence regular check up is very important to stop this decay in its initial stages. As it progresses the cavity becomes larger, we loose more tooth structure, and eventually instead of a normal filling we need to perform a Root Canal Treatment to relieve the pain and save the tooth.

One in four adults has an untreated cavity, and according to the CDC, nearly every adult will have tooth decay at some point. You might have a cavity if you experience pain, food gets caught in your tooth, your tooth feels rough to your tongue or it hurts to eat something cold or sweet. Depending on their severity, cavities can be treated with fillings, crowns or root canals. If the damage is too extensive or involves nerve damage, the tooth may need to be removed.