Fortunately, there are effective dental cavity treatments available to fix the damage and restore your oral health. This article will explore some of the most common and effective ways to treat tooth decay.
How to Diagnose Dental Cavity?
You may think you should feel the pain to figure out something is wrong with your teeth! That’s not true because an early stages dental cavity doesn’t have pain. If you discover the cavity soon, you will not need major dental procedures to treat it. But how can you diagnose dental cavities?
Diagnosing a dental cavity usually involves a thorough dental exam by a dentist. Since cavity dentists know how to read dental X-rays for cavities, they will visually inspect your teeth to check for signs of decay. They may also ask you if you have any symptoms of tooth decay, including toothache or sensitivity when biting down.
Sometimes, a cavity may not be visible to the naked eye, so your cavity dentist may use a special dye or laser to help detect it. Once a cavity is diagnosed, your dentist can recommend how to treat dental cavity.
What Are Tooth Cavity Treatments?
Based on the dental cavity stages, different procedures are recommended, including:
1. Fluoride Treatments
In most cases, the dental cavity at its early stages can be fixed with fluoride treatment because fluoride can restore your tooth’s enamel. As a result, it is possible that this dental cavity treatment reverses the decay and fixes your tooth.
You should note that professional fluoride treatments done at dental clinics are more effective than only brushing your teeth with fluoride toothpaste. Therefore, apart from maintaining your oral health with teeth brushing, visit a dentist regularly for dental check-ups. The dentist can see the early signs of cavity on a dental X-Ray and fix it with a more affordable procedure, like fluoride treatments.
2. Dental Fillings
One of the first dental cavity treatments done every day is dental fillings. It is also one of the most common dental procedures in almost every clinic. Therefore, it usually doesn’t come with any complications because it’s a routine procedure for all dentists. If the decay has damaged the tooth and is almost close to the root, the dentist recommends this dental cavity procedure to remove the damaged part and dental cavity bacteria, then fill it with materials, such as composite.
Since this procedure is very common, the dental cavity filling price is not high. However, it may differ based on the dental cavity filling material, the position of the tooth, and its severity.
3. Crowns
Dental crowns are usually considered a cosmetic procedure to enhance the beauty of teeth after other cavity treatments, like dental fillings. If the dental decay has damaged part of the teeth that may affect its functionality and appearance, the dental crown for the cavity is recommended. During this process, the dentist will take a tooth mold to create a cap to cover the damaged, worn-out, or broken tooth.
4. Root Canals
If you don’t stop the cavity from deepening into the teeth, it may reach the tooth pulp. In this step, you will feel severe dental cavity pain and need to visit a emergency dentist as soon as possible. Sometimes the cavity may cause infection in the tooth pulp, which should be treated with medication. But in the end, the root canal treatment should be performed.
For dental cavity pain relief at home, you can use the natural remedies for cavities.
5. Tooth Extractions
When a tooth is really damaged or cracked due to the cavity, it might need to be extracted. Generally, tooth extraction is the last option for any dental problems. Since removing a tooth can make a gap between teeth, it is recommended to fill its space with a dental bridge or implant to prevent teeth from moving around.
Bottom Line
As can be seen, it is important to address dental cavities promptly to prevent further damage to teeth and avoid the need for more extensive cavity treatments. Moreover, if you go for dental check-ups regularly and maintain oral hygiene, it is more likely to catch cavities early and prevent them from worsening. You can guarantee a beautiful smile for years by caring for your teeth.