Cavities in teeth: What to do about it?

Definition of Cavities:

Cavities in teeth arise when oral bacteria and acid start damaging the tooth enamel. If cavities are not treated, they can cause toothaches, infections like a periapical abscess, apical periodontitis, and even extraction of teeth. Tooth decay (दाँत में सड़न) can affect people of all ages. Tooth decay can be avoided with routine dental care like brushing, flossing, and checkups. Dental caries is the scientific name for cavities.

How do cavities form in teeth?

There are a lot of different things that might cause cavities to form. It usually goes like this:

• The bacteria in the mouth mainly grow from sweet and starchy foods and beverages (fruit, candy, bread, cereal, sodas, juice and milk). These sugars are fermented into acids by the bacteria, which form the microflora of our mouth.
• Plaque is made up of bacteria, acid, food debris, and saliva. It is the first formed product on the tooth surfaces. If this plaque is not removed in the initial stages then it further calcifies and forms calcific products on the tooth surfaces. This calcific deposit cannot be removed by brushing and therefore require professional cleaning by dentists.
• Furthermore, If you don’t brush and floss your teeth in the right way, acids in plaque will break down the enamel on your teeth. This break in the enamel acts as a route for the microorganisms to go deeper into the dentin and reach the pulp. As it reaches the pulp, the clinical sign of pain is experienced.

Symptoms of tooth decay

The signs and symptoms of cavities in teeth can change depending on how big or far they are and where they are. As long as the cavity on the front teeth isn’t too big, You may not notice any signs that it’s going to happen. As the decay spreads, it may show up in different ways, like:

• Toothache
• When biting down, it pains
• Dull pain while laying down
• Having a low tolerance for heat, cold, or sweetness
• Bad breath or a bad taste in the mouth that doesn’t go away no matter how much  brush or floss teeth
• Having a sudden hard time flossing between teeth
• Food is stuck in a place where it never has been stuck before
• Swelling around the tooth due to any underlying infection
• When caries reach the pulp, the infection might cause the discharge of pus

Read more – Natural home remedies for toothache

Causes of cavities in teeth

1. Consumption of sweet, sugary, and gummy foods and beverages

Plaque, which is also called tartar, is a soft deposit that builds up on teeth when bacteria, saliva, food particles, and acid from the mouth come together. Usually, we consume food three to four times a day, and most of the time, each meal has some kind of sugary food or carbohydrate. The bacteria in our mouths turn the sugar in our food into acid, and the acidic plaque that sticks to teeth eats away at the tooth’s enamel, which is its most complex and protective layer. Due to these cavities arise in teeth.

2. Dry mouth Or Xerostomia

Saliva is a great way to clean the mouth and get rid of the plaque that builds up on the teeth. If the person has a dry mouth, there will be more plaque buildup. The major reason behind this is that saliva acts as a cleansing agent. The tooth surfaces are generally self-cleansing in nature. The saliva acts as the dispersing agent and cleans the tooth. If the person suffers from dry mouth then the chances of caries increase.

3. Poor oral Hygiene

If you don’t brush your teeth twice a day and use floss and mouthwash every day, plaque will build up and attack the surface of your tooth enamel and form cavities in your teeth.

4. Medical issues & Acid reflux problem

This can result in the tooth enamel surface being damaged by stomach acid. Which can lead to medical complications such as bulimia.

Treatment for tooth decay

Depending on how bad the tooth decay is and how far it has spread, consult the dentist he/she will recommend doing x-rays and suggest how to treat it:

1. Fluoride treatment

More than a treatment, it is a precautionary method. Nowadays school topical fluoride application programmes take place to avoid caries formation in young children. If the child is susceptible to caries formation, the fluoride treatment will help in protecting the enamel.

2. Dental fillings

If deep decay occurs, then the dentist will remove the decayed part of your tooth and use filling material to restore the tooth’s structure.

3. Root canal surgery

If the decay has reached the nerve tissue or pulpal area. The dentist will remove all of the decay and clean the infected Pulpal area. Then, the teeth will fix with an internal root and occlusal filling and a crown.

4. Extraction of teeth

If the tooth is in such bad condition that a root canal won’t be able to save it, then the dentist will suggest removing the whole tooth.

Prevention for cavities

Good oral and dental health will help you avoid cavities and tooth decay. Here are some teeth-cleaning tips. Consult your dentist for advice mainly he/she will suggest such as:

• Use fluoride toothpaste.
• Use floss or an interdental cleaner to clean your teeth.
• Rinse your mouth out with mouthwash to protect your teeth.
• Must visit the dentist regularly. To keep your mouth healthy and avoid complications.
• Avoid carbonated drinks. Such drinks contain more amount of carbohydrates and sugars, this help oral bacteria create acids. This harms the dental enamel. It’s harmful to your teeth.
• Avoid sticky food items that stay in your teeth’s grooves and pits, or brush them after eating them. 
• Children always rinse their mouths with water after they have milk.
• Use the right brushing techniques, and if not aware ask your dentist to demonstrate them.

Good dental hygiene prevents tooth decay and cavities. Especially understanding how a single cavity might affect dental health.

Conclusion and CTA

If cavities in teeth arise then consult the physician so that he/ she will recommend treatment to treat it. And after the treatment, they may prescribe a medication such as Amoxicillin, an antibiotic along with a painkiller containing Aceclofenac/Diclofenac which mostly overcomes the symptoms post-dental treatment.

After consulting with your nearby dentist, you may also refer to our Truemeds Physicians, which provides free online consultations. We provide you with home medicine delivery, a discount offer, and monthly savings on your medical bill. Our online pharmacy, Truemeds, provides the highest-quality medications at the lowest prices. We provide all varieties of medications, including branded, over-the-counter, and nutritional supplements, as well as Generic medicines online at an affordable price. We are India’s most reliable and genuine online medicines supplier. When you select an alternative or generic drug that is advised by our Truemeds expert doctors, you may be able to save additional money when you make your order for prescriptions online. Truemeds provides necessary medicines savings of up to 72% off costs with PAN India home delivery.