ARTICLES
Cavities
What people fail to understand is that dental diseases are progressive. The complexity of treatment increases as the disease progresses. But at an early stage, the treatment is fairly simple. For example, tooth decay or cavities start as a small black spot limited to the outer most layer (the enamel) and at this stage prevention of progression is key. Some cases might not even need any intervention. Basic oral hygiene procedures like brushing twice a day and regular flossing will prevent it from further progressing. If left untreated, this black spot invades the next layer of the tooth known as the dentin.
When the decay progresses into this layer, patients usually experience sensitivity. A cavity like this needs to be filled. If treatment is not done at this stage, the cavity becomes wider, deeper and enters the inner most layer of the tooth called the pulp. The pulp is the life of the tooth and is rich in blood vessels and nerves. It is in this stage that patients usually experience pain. The pain is usually intense, provoked on chewing, eating either cold or hot food and typically increases during the night.
Unfortunately, the disease is said to have progressed beyond the scope of a filling and now requires a more complicated treatment called “Root Canal Treatment”. This procedure is a three-step procedure in which the infection and pulp tissue is removed, the inside of the tooth is disinfected and shaped and is finally filled. A root canal treated tooth is weak and hence may need to be protected by a crown. If the tooth is not treated at this stage as well, the tooth becomes brittle and breaks. There is no treatment that can be done to save the tooth and the tooth needs to be extracted.
