Cavities (Tooth Decay)

Causes of tooth decay

The disease is caused by bacteria. They produce acids that leach calcium and fluoride from the tooth tissue, a process called demineralization. Decay is especially common in areas that are difficult to clean. Plaque builds up there and provides a breeding ground for bacteria.

Many factors influence the rate of enamel and dentin breakdown:

• the body's individual resistance;
• Inadequate or no oral hygiene;
• calcium and fluoride deficiency in the body;
• bite abnormalities, misalignment of the dentition;
• hormonal changes;
• immune disorders;
• Consumption of large amounts of food and drinks with high sugar and carbohydrate content;
• vitamin deficiencies;
• low salivation - saliva contains substances that neutralize acids produced by bacteria;
• poor quality drinking water;
• heredity.

Diagnosis

Often the doctor can easily identify the disease by visual inspection at the first consultation. He uses probing, palpation and percussion of the tooth, pays attention to the presence of stains on the enamel, roughness of the surface.

Other methods are also used:

• Transillumination - if the patient complains of caries symptoms, but on visual inspection the signs of the disease are not visible, the dentist directs a bright beam of light at the tooth: in this case, the boundaries of the affected area will be better visible;
• A caries marker that helps rule out fluorosis and hypoplasia - a special dye drips off a healthy tooth, but remains on the affected area, penetrating the pores;
• X-ray - gives the opportunity to detect hidden deep caries;
• laser diagnostics - an alternative to X-ray examination;
• electroodontometry - necessary to distinguish caries from pulpitis, consists in the fact that the doctor applies an electric current to the pulp and monitors the patient's pain sensations.

Modern treatments for dental caries

Non-invasive treatments may be effective in the superficial stage. These are:

• Remineralization of enamel - pastes with high fluoride and calcium content are rubbed into the affected area, it takes 10-14 sessions to eliminate the carious spot;
• Icon infiltration is a gel that is applied to the surface of the tooth and exposed to ultraviolet light for a period of time;
• ozone therapy - a cap is placed on the diseased tooth, under which ozone is injected, disinfecting the affected areas and stopping the development of caries.

If the disease has outgrown the spot stage, invasive therapy is required.

In the initial and middle stages, it is sufficient to remove the affected tissue, clean the cavity and close it with a filling.

In case of deep caries, treatment is carried out in several stages.

First, the doctor removes the affected tissues, cleans the cavity and root canals, puts a medicament in them. A temporary filling is placed.

At your next appointment, the dentist removes the temporary filling, cleans the tooth canals and fills them. A permanent filling is then placed.

The service life of a modern light-cured filling made of composite material is 5-7 years with proper care. After that, it will need to be replaced.

Treatment of caries of 1 tooth

Traditionally, the following protocol has been used.

1. Local anesthesia.
2. Carious cavity preparation - the doctor removes the affected tissue using a drill.
3. Treatment of the cleaned cavity with antiseptic compositions.
4. Installing the seal.
5. Shaping, grinding and polishing of the filling to the optimum shape.

For the manufacture of fillings, modern composite materials are used, which have the ability to cure quickly under the influence of ultraviolet rays. They are strong and durable, well withstand chewing. Fillings made of them are not conspicuous.

Toothache after treatment

In some cases, patients continue to feel pain after treatment. This can be due to several reasons.

1. A natural reaction of the body to dental intervention. Such pain goes away in 1-2 days after the completion of medical manipulations.
2. Inflammation of the nerve endings located in the pulp. This is possible with deep caries, when the dentin layer is not completely destroyed, but the inflammatory process has already penetrated deeper. Repeat treatment with pulp removal and filling of the tooth canals is required.
3. Inflammation of the ligaments of the tooth - periodontitis. In this case, painful sensations occur when chewing. It is necessary to fill the canals of the tooth with a special therapeutic composition. After it destroys the infection, the doctor performs the final filling.