Cavities are a common condition in the general population, between 80% and 90% of people suffer from it. Cavities are areas of the tooth damaged by the bacteria in the mouth, caused by poor dental hygiene or the intake of certain foods and drinks with lots of sugars. Timely action will be the only remedy to cure decay because if cavities are not treated they tend to enlarge and cause infections, often irreversible. We must go to the dentist often to detect any cavities and then act immediately. On OneHowTo, we'll show you how to fix decayed teeth.
Fluoride treatments help repair the teeth in the first stage of decay, when the damage is only produced in the enamel of the tooth. We talk about a very early treatment, in the early stages of decay, when applying a fluoride solution that contains more fluoride than a normal toothpaste can solve the problem. This treatment only takes a few minutes. It is applied to the tooth as a gel, foam, varnish or liquid, and your dentist will advise on how often to repeat the treatment so that the decay does not reach a more advanced stage.
Dental fillings are used when damage to the decayed teeth is permanent. It is a material that replaces the affected area of the tooth and it is very common to apply it once the injury has passed the stage of enamel erosion. The treatment is based on filling the cavity after the decay has been removed with a file so that it can be shaped with the same lines as the original tooth. The fillers that are used are different, they can be resins of the colour of the tooth, porcelain, amalgam or compositions of different materials.
The dental crowns are used when the tooth decay is very advanced, so that the tooth is filed with a fitting cover coating the entire molar. They are used when the stage of decay is so advanced that we need to restore the tooth completely. The original part is kept but a crown is placed on top of it, protecting the tooth. The crowns can be made of porcelain, gold or metal fused porcelain.
A root canal is made when decay reaches the pulp of the tooth, affecting your nerve and tooth completely. This treatment involves removing the molar pulp and replacing it with a prosthetic filling.
And finally, another option is the removal of the teeth if decay affects and deteriorates them so seriously that they can not be reconstructed. This happens when we act late and the caries infection has already taken all the molar area, leaving it irreparable.
When a tooth is removed, even if it is situated at the bottom of the mouth and not visible, it is important to replace it in some way, not only for aesthetic reasons, but because the space left empty for a tooth leads to movement of the other teeth. If the other teeth change position, our bite and chewing function may be altered. Covering that space with a bridge or a dental implant should be considered.
Remember that going to the dentist is very important, so you can receive timely treatment depending on the state of the tooth. If you are in pain, you can check the advice we give you in our article on home remedies to relieve toothache.
This article is merely informative, oneHOWTO does not have the authority to prescribe any medical treatments or create a diagnosis. We invite you to visit your doctor if you have any type of condition or pain.
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