A majority of people will develop a cavity at some point in their lifetime. This early form of tooth decay occurs when natural oral bacteria eat away at weak spots in the enamel, the outermost layer of the tooth. When you form a hole in the tooth’s surface, this is known as a cavity.
A dentist will treat a cavity by removing the decayed part of the tooth and restoring its structure using a composite resin dental filling. Even though this treatment seems quick and easy, you should not delay pursuing this dental procedure.
Untreated tooth decay can pose a serious threat to your oral health, including irreversible damage like tooth loss. You can feel more encouraged to seek cavity treatment when you know what can happen if you ignore this dental problem. Read on to learn more about advanced tooth decay and its consequences.
Will Untreated Tooth Decay Worsen?
As mentioned, cavities develop when oral bacteria deteriorate tooth enamel to the point a hole forms in the tooth. The cavity will not go away on its own. And decay will worsen without intervention from a dentist to treat the cavity.
Then the decay will spread and hurt more of the enamel. Bacteria will also penetrate deeper into the tooth where it can affect the pulp. If this extensive dental damage occurs, you could have a high risk of infection along with other oral health concerns.
Cavities might leave you with tooth sensitivity or dental discoloration as symptoms. But you might see worse tooth pain and aesthetic deterioration in cases of advanced tooth decay. And this type of dental harm could be irreversible. So do not delay calling your dentist about treating a cavity.
How Will a Dentist Treat Advanced Tooth Decay?
Dentists treat cavities or early tooth decay by removing the damaged part of the enamel and then giving you a dental filling. The composite resin fills the hole in the dental structure and hardens to provide lasting protection from further dental problems.
But if you have advanced tooth decay, a filling might not be enough to cover the amount of enamel the dentist will need to drill away to get rid of the decay. The dentist might need to give you a dental crown for full coverage and restoration in the wake of this damage. And this will involve more than one appointment to complete the treatment.
If decay reaches the pulp of the tooth, you might also need root canal therapy to remove the damage and prevent further spread. In some cases, the dentist might need to extract the tooth to protect the rest of your smile from decay.
To avoid spending more time, money, discomfort, and hassle on your smile, you should treat cavities promptly. Then they do not have time to spread and cause more damage that will require extensive dental work to fix. Contact your dentist to diagnose and treat tooth decay as soon as possible.