Dental health can fall prey to many problems like tooth decay or gum disease at any point in your life. Initially, many dental issues such as dental caries or tooth decay are painless, making them even more dangerous, and you cannot detect them- you would need a dentist for that. This is why the damage is too extensive when the patient actually gets to know about it. Therefore, if you are experiencing small or large “black lesions” that are creating holes or eating your teeth, you should be concerned. Tooth decay is never good news. However, there are ways to keep your teeth healthy, and visiting your dentist regularly while maintaining oral hygiene tops them all. To learn how you can prevent and treat tooth decay, stick with us until the end.
How Does Tooth Decay Occur?
Tooth decay, usually known as dental caries or a cavity, is when black lesions or holes appear in your tooth. Tooth decay occurs when the bacteria invade the otherwise healthy tooth causing destruction that begins making its way into the dental tissues. The mechanism behind the occurrence of tooth decay is simple and straightforward. Dental cavities can result from poor oral hygiene maintenance or bad eating and drinking habits. Brush and floss your teeth twice a day to keep tooth decay at bay!
Our mouth has both good and bad bacteria. Improper teeth cleaning leads to plaque formation (a sticky layer) that harbors bad bacteria in your mouth. This bacterium can turn the food remnants and sugary particles into acid. Usually, this acid is cleansed out by saliva. However, if the intake is frequent with no cleaning of the oral cavity, the acid production overpowers the cleansing action of saliva. The change in pH of the mouth makes it easy for the bacteria to penetrate the otherwise extremely strong (stronger than bone) layer of the tooth called enamel. That is where the destruction begins.
Pain, infection, sensitivity, gum bleeding, tooth fracture, tooth mobility, and even tooth loss are all consequences of tooth decay. The more extensive the dental cavity, the more severe the symptoms. Tooth decay or a cavity initiates as a pinpoint yet discolored lesion- a tiny spot that can hide from your eye. If left undetected and untreated, the cavity destroys the tooth extensively. Furthermore, tooth decay is not only dangerous to your dental health, but to your overall health as well. The bacteria in the cavities can invade the blood and result in an infectious condition of the heart known as endocarditis. If dental decay is not detected at the right time, it can result in more pain and an extensive treatment plan. This is why dentists say that dentistry is neither painful nor expensive, but neglect is!
Causes of Tooth Decay
Dental cavities or tooth decay can harbor in your mouth due to several reasons, including:
· Not brushing or flossing the teeth regularly
· Brushing your teeth regularly but with the wrong technique that results in bacteria hiding behind the unreachable nook and crannies in your mouth
· Excessive and frequent consumption of sugary and sticky food and beverages
· Genetics- you do not only inherit wealth and habits from your ancestors but dental and overall health problems as well
· Smoking
· Use of tobacco
· Certain health diseases like acid regurgitation
· Gum diseases
· Not visiting the dentist regularly
How Do You Know About Tooth Decay?
You can be unaware of tooth decay even when it has made its home in your mouth. To save yourself from the wrath of severe dental treatments, here are a few things you need to keep an eye out for to detect tooth decay:
· Sensitivity to hot and cold food
· Mild tooth pain
· Small white, brown or black spots on your teeth
· Holes or sharp edges on your teeth
Even though you do not detect any visible changes in your dental health, if you feel something off, go to your dentist.
What Does Tooth Decay Look Like?
Tooth decay may appear as a tiny white or black spot that feels rough when the tongue hits it. Black lesions are easier to catch, while white lesions may appear the same as the tooth surface. If tooth decay has advanced, it causes holes or cavities in the tooth, causing the tooth to chip or fracture and lose its structure. At times, you nor the dentist would be able to see tooth decay clinically. Why is that? Well, bacteria can also invade the tooth from the inside out, especially if they have made their way into the tooth from gum disease or an existing infection. In such cases, dental imaging (x-rays, cameras, CBCT) can all be really useful to detect what is going inside the mouth.
Can You Reverse Tooth Decay Naturally?
Well, yes and no. If the cavity has just been initiated, and you take preventive measures, you may succeed in arresting it so that it does not proceed further. Unfortunately, the tooth cannot return to its same healthy state, but you can maintain its integrity. However, if the lesion has become active with pain and sensitivity, the only option will be to get it treated. Here are a few preventive measures that you can take to reverse tooth decay naturally:
· Brush and floss twice daily, with the proper technique
· Eat and drink healthy
· Rinse your mouth with water after every meal
· Avoid tobacco and smoking
· Eliminate or reduce sugary and sticky items from your diet
· Visit your dentist regularly- they may provide you with fluoride treatment
How Can You Treat Tooth Decay?
Damage to your teeth is usually irreversible because, unlike other tissues in your body, a tooth does not have the capability to heal itself. Once bacteria causes a cavity in your tooth, you have to get it treated as there is no other way out. Depending on the size and extent of the tooth decay, the dentist may opt for any of the following dental treatments:
· Dental fillings
· Inlays and onlays
· Root canal treatment
· Tooth extraction
Conclusion
Even though you have lots of information at your fingertips and can learn how to prevent dental problems, it is best to visit your dentist. Because at times, the tooth decay might not even be visible to the dentist, yet still lingering inside the tooth, on its way out. The dentist can use imaging like dental x-rays and intra-oral cameras to ensure that the tooth is fit as a fiddle, inside and out. In addition, if it’s not, they can guide you on how to prevent and treat tooth decay.
