Cavities damage a natural tooth’s enamel. They occur when dangerous bacteria combine with the remaining food particles in the mouth to produce a strong acid that erodes the enamel. Although the enamel is usually solid, it cannot withstand harm from dangerous acids. The damage starts slowly and extends quickly to the entire tooth and adjacent teeth. You could lose your teeth, experience severe symptoms like headaches, toothaches, and sensitivity, and suffer a severe infection if you keep an untreated cavity. It helps to seek dental care immediately when you notice a developing cavity on your tooth. Alternatively, you can maintain regular visits to your dentist’s office, whereby your dentist can diagnose and treat a cavity at its onset.
How Cavities Occur
Cavities occur from tooth decay, a process that takes some time. Some foods remain in the mouth when you eat or drink. But you can remove them through regular brushing and flossing, as recommended by dentists. If you do not practice good oral hygiene as recommended by your dentist, the food particles in your mouth can cause more harm to your teeth and gums. This is because they combine with harmful bacteria in your mouth to produce a strong acid that creates plaque buildup on your teeth and gums. Plaque, sticky film coat your teeth. The buildup stays on the teeth, hardening into tartar. Tartar is difficult to remove. It also forms a shield for dangerous bacteria.
Acid from the shielded bacteria feeds on the minerals in the tooth’s enamel, weakening and eroding it. The erosion results in tiny holes or openings in the affected tooth, which is how cavities develop. Once part of your tooth’s enamel wears away, the harmful bacteria and acids it produces can penetrate the underlying part of the tooth or dentin. This part of natural teeth is usually softer than the enamel, making it less acid-resistant. An attack on the dentin also causes your teeth to be sensitive.
Once the harmful bacteria penetrate your tooth’s underlying structures, it spreads deeper into its underlying structures or pulp. This irritates the pulp, causing it to swell. Since the tooth’s inner structure cannot accommodate the swelling, the nerves become affected, resulting in excruciating pain and sensitivity. Sometimes, you experience pain in the tooth's and the bone's outer part. The bacterial damage affects the bone, too, resulting in bone loss. The harmful bacteria causes the tooth’s underlying structures to become infected, necessitating root canal therapy once you seek treatment.
Main Causes of Cavities
Cavities are generally caused by harmful bacteria in the mouth. The human mouth has different types of bacteria. Some bacteria are good and aid digestion, while others are harmful. The harmful bacteria can quickly thrive in dirty environments. That is why dentists recommend regular oral hygiene habits, including brushing teeth after every meal or twice daily and flossing daily. This ensures you remove all stuck food particles, starches, and sugars from your teeth and gums, which can contribute to an attack by harmful bacteria. You must also ensure you reach all the nooks and crannies in the mouth, where some food particles can remain stuck, causing harm to your teeth and gums.
Bacteria feed mainly on starches and sugars. If you are a regular user of sugary or starchy foods, like juices, sodas, candies, and breads, you are likely to develop a cavity. Once some of it remains in your mouth for some time, the harmful bacteria can quickly thrive and form a dental plaque.
You can also develop a cavity from untreated damage or a crack in your teeth. If an accident damages one or more of your teeth, you need immediate treatment to prevent further damage and protect the tooth from harm by bacteria. A crack on your tooth becomes a perfect breeding ground for harmful bacteria. This is because it harbors some of the food you eat.
Reasons to Take Care of Cavities Right Away
A cavity does not usually seem like a significant problem at its onset. You can easily ignore it and continue living your life and enjoying the full functionality of your teeth. Some cavities go undetected for a very long time until you experience pain, sensitivity, and other symptoms. However, cavities are dangerous, even at the developing stage. The harmful bacteria can significantly damage your teeth quickly, resulting in an irreversible dental problem. Once a significant part of your tooth is damaged, you could lose the entire tooth. The harmful bacteria can also spread to your adjacent teeth, affecting more of your natural teeth.
You must speak to your dentist immediately if you notice a small hole in one or more teeth or tooth damage. Dentists also recommend regular dental checkups and examinations to detect problems like these early enough. Fortunately, you can treat a cavity effectively at its onset, stopping it from damaging more of your tooth and spreading to your other teeth. You can also save yourself the agony that comes with severe symptoms of a cavity, including excruciating pain, sensitivity, painful dental abscesses, and bone loss.
Your natural teeth comprise different tissues and other structures that make them alive. The teeth’s inner structures are sensitive and prone to damage. That is why the enamel is a protective barrier to keep them safe. Through this protection, you enjoy strong and healthy teeth. Once the harmful bacteria damages your tooth’s solid protective barrier, it exposes the inner, sensitive structures to harm.
The dangerous bacteria weakens and affects one spot on a tooth, giving it access to its underlying structures. Once a tooth’s inner structures are affected, its strength and function are affected, too. You will not be able to eat, chew, or smile broadly as you did with healthy and strong teeth. Your teeth become sensitive, making enjoying your favorite foods and drinks difficult. You could also experience endless toothaches that take away your joy. Thus, you must take care of cavities immediately after they develop. Speak to your dentist once you notice some changes in your natural tooth.
The Harm Cavities Cause
The main reason to take care of cavities right away is due to the harm they cause to your teeth, gums, and entire body. Treating a cavity immediately after it develops helps prevent severe dental and oral issues affecting your general well-being. Here are some of the problems cavities cause, which you can avoid through early diagnosis and treatment:
A Cavity Causes Severe Symptoms
An untreated cavity can result in severe symptoms, including severe toothaches, endless headaches, and sensitivity. Though they start mildly, with no pain, cavities can cause severe symptoms that will affect your life in many ways. For example, an endless toothache will take away your joy and ability to eat some foods you enjoy. It can also make it difficult to chew your food properly, resulting in indigestion issues. Constant headaches can also cause overreliance on pain medication, which is harmful to your health and can result in addictions. Sensitivity makes it hard to enjoy your favorite foods.
Once you experience one or more of these symptoms, you must seek immediate treatment. A skilled dentist will carefully examine all your teeth and gums for cavities and determine the best treatment for the symptoms and their underlying cause.
An Untreated Cavity Can Result in Tooth Loss
Natural teeth are beautiful and strong. Practicing good oral habits will ensure you enjoy healthy teeth for a very long time. But a cavity can cost your tooth more if it spreads to your other teeth. Remember that cavity-causing bacteria eat into a tooth’s enamel and underlying structures. If more of your tooth’s structure is affected by the time you seek treatment, it could be difficult for your dentist to save your tooth. Cavities are a leading cause of tooth loss in America.
Once one or more teeth are extracted, the functioning of your remaining teeth could be affected. Although dentists offer tooth replacements and restorations, they do not work and do not appear exactly like natural teeth. Additionally, these treatments are costly.
A Cavity Can Cause Gum Disease
Gum disease is a dangerous oral issue that affects gums, teeth, and general health. When harmful bacteria take over a tooth, it spreads to the gums and adjacent teeth. The acidic reaction from harmful bacteria and stuck food particles also creates buildup on the gum line. The buildup acts as a shield for the harmful bacteria, which causes the gums to inflame.
Gum disease also starts slowly, from treatable gingivitis to fully-blown periodontitis. Once your gums become inflamed, they become reddish or pinkish and bleedy. They also become painful, especially when eating and brushing. The inflammation becomes an infection, spreading to your gums' underlying structures. They create deeper gum pockets, weakening the structures that hold your teeth firmly.
Gum disease is dangerous as it can result in tooth loss. It could also spread to the bone, resulting in bone loss. The infection can spread to other body parts, affecting general health.
A Cavity Can Affect Your General Health
Your oral and general health are connected. You cannot say you are generally healthy if you have oral or dental problems. A problem in one part of your body affects your entire body. Good oral health can boost your general health in many ways. Thus, a cavity will affect your general well-being. Other than the symptoms that affect your well-being, a cavity that causes an infection affects your general health.
When your tooth is infected, the infection can quickly spread to your body through the bloodstream. You must not ignore a cavity, however harmless it seems. Once the harmful bacteria access the underlying structure of your tooth, it can quickly spread to your body, causing more harm to your overall well-being.
Besides, the symptoms of an infection affect your entire body. For example, an infection brings fever, chills, and headaches that affect how your entire body functions.
Cavities Cause Poor Nutrition
A cavity affects your tooth’s function. You need strong and healthy teeth to eat nutritious foods, which your body requires for proper nutrition. If a cavity makes it difficult for you to bite or chew, it could affect your nutrition. A cavity can change how you eat if it is on the active side of your mouth. If you use one side of the mouth more than the other, and a cavity develops on that side, it could affect how you eat, especially if you still need to learn to chew with the other side of your mouth.
Additionally, if your teeth are sensitive or painful, you will not eat as you should to avoid experiencing these unpleasant symptoms. Poor nutrition will weaken your entire body and put your health at risk.
How to Immediately Care for Cavities
The only way to prevent cavities is to seek treatment once you develop one. You can feel or see a cavity immediately after it develops. The problem is that most people ignore them, only seeking treatment once they experience serious symptoms. Dentists can treat and prevent a cavity from spreading at its developing stage.
Dentists also diagnose cavities during regular checkups and examinations. When a dentist mentions a cavity, allow or nudge them to treat it immediately. This can save the affected tooth, your other teeth, and general health.
Find a Competent Dentist Near Me
Cavities are dangerous, as they can result in infections and tooth loss. Fortunately, dentists have different treatments for cavities at various stages of development. Your dentist can fill a small cavity to restore the structure and functionality of the affected tooth. Afjilling also protects the tooth from further damage. Root canal therapy is recommended for advanced infections that affect the pulp or underlying structures of teeth.
We have extensive skills and experience treating various cavities at Lasting Impressions Dental Spa. We recommend measures you and your family can take to prevent cavities and their harmful effects. Call us at 818-751-5100 to learn more about dental cavities in Encino. We will gladly provide all the information you need to keep your teeth and gums strong and healthy.
