Cavities are the most common dental problem of everyone, regardless of age. Understanding how cavities develop so one can prevent it from happening is better than treating it. Fortunately, when detected early, cavities are easily repaired with no significant damage done to the tooth. However, when treatment is delayed, costly and painful procedures are needed.
HOW DO I KNOW IF I HAVE A CAVITY?
Most of the times we only notice a cavity has formed when there is a hole in our tooth already. This means that the cavity has already progressed. There are symptoms that might alert you that a cavity is forming in your tooth:
- Pain, especially when it is concentrated on a particular tooth, is a symptom that a cavity might be forming. You might experience pain while chewing or when consuming cold or hot foods. Eating sweets can make your tooth extra sensitive when a cavity has formed.
- Development of chips or cracks on the tooth. When decay occurs, it destroys the underlying tooth foundation, which causes tooth to become brittle and break.
- Appearance of dark areas on teeth or darkening of an entire tooth.
- Occurrence of white spots or chalky areas on the tooth, which is an early warning sign that minerals are being lost.
HOW IS A CAVITY TREATED?
Treating a cavity depends mainly on its progression. If the cavity is small and has not affected the structure of the tooth, a filling removes it and prevents additional damage. During a filling, a dentist removes the damaged portion of the tooth and fills it in with a dense filling material.
Molars or teeth situated at the back of our mouths are prone to cavities because these aren’t easily reached when you brush your teeth. Sealants may be recommended to help protect them.
Cavities that are left untreated continue to worsen over time. Severe cavities cause the inner pulp of the tooth to die and may cause abscess formation and infection to occur. Don’t let this happen! Have a dental checkup regularly.
We Value Preventive Dental Care
Preventive dental care includes health promotion and health education of eating choices, dental hygiene and oral care.
At Indianapolis Dentistry we care so much about preventative care that we have shaped our 5-year warranty program around keeping regular cleaning appointments. As long as you continue to keep your oral hygiene visits every 6-months you can be eligible for free replacement or repair of Dr. Reese’s dental work within the previous 5-years. And if you’ve already had dental treatment, existing patients can be grandfathered into this program.
Our office also offers preventative dental products that you can buy at our office on the south side of Indianapolis, just north of Greenwood on US 31! Call the office today to for a caries assessment evaluation – 317-882-0228!