Categories: Restorative Dentistry

It’s Time To Address That Cavity

In last week’s blog, we discussed the way that sedation dentistry can help ease the nerves for our anxious patients, thus making your visit with our team much calmer and more relaxed. Indeed, sedation can be utilized for a variety of procedures, including in cleanings, restorative procedures, and when treating decay. In today’s blog, your Dallas, TX dentist would like to take a deeper look at the threat of decay, and how treating it early-on is your best option for maintaining a lifelong grin.

Dangers of Decay

By now you may be aware that decay is one of the most – if not, the most – common dental concerns there are, affecting millions of people every year. It begins as a small hole in your tooth known as a cavity, which is caused by harmful oral bacteria. These bacteria are present in every smile, and it is up to us to practice excellent preventive care habits to keep them from wreaking havoc.

A cavity typically forms when bacteria feed off of the food particles we consume, causing them to secrete harmful acids. These acids then actively work to break down your tooth’s natural structure, thus signifying the earliest signs of dental decay. If allowed to progress, decay will work its way inside of a given tooth, affecting the inner dental pulp and nerves contained in the roots. At this stage, you will also begin to experience sharp or shooting pains, sensitivity, and even some difficulty in function. As it continues to compromise your tooth, your chances of salvaging your oral structures diminish quite rapidly and increase the possibility of losing teeth exponentially. For more information about this process, contact our team today.

Act Sooner Rather Than Later

Because dental decay can spread at an alarming rate and cause more and more damage the worse it gets, it is always better to act sooner rather than later. When you come in for your visit and your dentist notices the beginnings of a cavity, we will suggest a filling procedure as soon as possible to contain the infection. This process involves cleaning away the decaying portions of tooth and filling the hole with a composite dental resin. Once every nook and cranny has been filled, we will cure the material using a special light.

Keep up With a Routine

While preventive dentistry is extremely helpful in containing the spread of infection and restoring your smile’s function, preventive dentistry is the name of the game when it comes to a healthy grin. By staying on top of your brushing and flossing at home and attending routine appointments, we can prevent minor concerns from becoming major ones.