What to do when you get caries

Caries is an infectious disease, which leads to destruction of teeth’s solid tissues. The reason for its appearance is bacterial activity in your mouth, which causes dissolution of tooth tissue, usually beginning from the enamel, continuing further.

Bacteria, along with saliva and food remains surround the tooth, forming a thin layer called plaque. It forms very easily if there is mechanical injury of the enamel, as well as in the base of a tooth. Some bacteria, contained in plaque transform sugar and carbohydrates into acids, which dissolve the minerals on the surface of teeth, and so they form microscopic wholes, or erosions. With time passing by, they get bigger.

Caries is a very common disease. At early stage, its symptoms are mainly visible. As it advances, you will start feeling pain in your tooth when chemical or physical reactions occur (hot, cold, sweet, pressure on the tooth). The healing is done with a seal, as the caries is being eliminated.

The standard treatment of a caries consists of cleaning the ill spot, and afterwards, filling it with a seal. After the dentist cleans up the carious zone (sometimes that involves anesthetics), he/she will fill up your tooth with material appropriate for this matter, such as photopolymer or amalgam. In case the damaged zone is too big, and it is not possible for the tooth to accept the appropriate amount of filling material, the setting of a crown is necessary. Sometimes, the natural crown of the tooth might turn out to be unharmed, and at the same time, the caries might be very deep in the tooth. In such cases, you might need to be examined by a specialist endodontic. The procedure includes removal of the tooth’s pulp, and replacement with inert material. In most cases, it is necessary to change the original crown with a synthetic one.

When you get caries, you have to contact your dentist. The early stage of caries comes with toothache. The most reliable method to find caries is by teeth x-ray. In case you feel pain, while having a meal, or during consumption of hot or cold drinks, you should immediately contact your dentist.

The treatment period of caries depends on the stage at which it is found. When found in early stage, the healing is fast, and the possibility for the tooth to keep its totality is big. In more severe cases, when caries has damaged the enamel, recovery of the tooth is impossible without the intervention of a dentist. The period for erosion caused by caries is individual with every patient. Caries is capable to destroy a tooth’s entirety for a couple of months, or it may take years.

Lowering the amount of plaque severely lowers the risk of caries. The best way to complete that is by regularly brushing your teeth, at least two times per day, and by generally limiting the consumption of sweet foods.

To find out how you can fight dental caries, read this interesting article. To see why you should be careful when it comes to caries, visit this web page.