Tooth Decay

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Tooth Decay

What is a tooth decay?

Tooth decay is often the result of poor diet and poor dental hygiene. Tooth decay is generally seen in the molars and premolars, which you use to chew food with.

Symptoms of tooth decay

A tooth decay is hardly recognizable at the beginning. As the decay is progressing, the following symptoms may occur:

Sharp pain while eating anything very sweet, cold or hot
Unpleasant breath
Holes in your tooth
Pain when you bite
Appearance of grey or black spots in your teeth
Increase sensitivity in your tooth

Treatment for tooth decay

At the very start of the tooth decay, a fluoride treatment is enough to avoid it. Fluoride-containing products like toothpaste, mouthwash and gel contain varying amounts of fluoride, but a professional fluoride treatment recommended by dentist is the most effective source.

Fillings

When a cavity has progressed considerably, the dentist will remove the decayed portion , and then fill the gap using a variety of materials like composite resins, porcelains etc.

Dental Crowns

If a tooth has been extensively decayed, your dentist may recommend a dental crown instead of fillings.

Root Canal Treatment

When the tooth decay is extremely severe and has reached the inner pulp of the tooth, the dentist will recommend a root canal treatment. The pulp is removed, and replaced with an artificial pulp.

Tooth extraction

When the doctor thinks that the decay is progressed enough to have the possibility of a bigger infection, he will extract (pull out) the tooth. Extracting a tooth can lead to the other teeth shifting or moving, affecting the shape of the mouth. This can be corrected by replacing the extracted tooth with a dental implant.