You’re checking your teeth in the mirror, and you notice a dark spot on your tooth. Is that a cavity? It appears so, but it doesn’t hurt, so you don’t have to fill it, right? Wrong! Cavities don’t just start and stop. They keep growing, digging into your tooth until they destroy its core, which kills the tooth and causes tooth loss. After that, your smile isn’t the same.
Before you say goodbye to your perfect smile, let Gairhan Dental Care fill that cavity and save your smile. It’s important to have a cavity treated right away. The longer you wait, the worse the damage to your tooth and the more intense (and expensive) the treatment to save or replace it becomes. So let’s explore what happens if you don’t get cavities filled.
How a Cavity Forms
Before we talk about filling cavities, let’s talk about what a cavity is and how you can prevent it. A cavity forms due to tooth decay, which happens when plaque and tartar are not cleaned from the tooth properly or regularly. Plaque and tartar contain bacteria that eat away at the tooth’s enamel — the hard outer shell that protects the living part of the tooth inside. When the bacteria eats through the enamel, it creates a cavity.
Left untreated, the cavity makes its way to the dentin or the second shell of the tooth. Unlike enamel, dentin contains nerves, so the cavity may begin to hurt. Once the cavity makes its way to the center of the tooth, it hits the pulp, which contains the live tissue of the tooth and the blood vessels that keep it alive. The pulp also has more nerves. If a cavity hits the pulp, it can cause an infection or abscess. That infection can not only kill the tooth, but it can also get into the bloodstream and make you ill. The infection can kill the tooth, which leads to tooth loss.
How to Prevent Cavities
How do you prevent cavities? Cavity prevention is very simple: Brush and floss your teeth at least twice a day, every day. That’s the main way to prevent cavities. You also need to visit the dentist at least twice a year for a thorough cleaning.
At Gairhan Dental Care, we will clean your teeth thoroughly with our specialized dental tools. We will also remove any tartar that’s built up on your teeth. This is important because the tartar, or hardened plaque, holds tooth-decaying bacteria against your tooth, allowing the bacteria to eat away at your enamel. Only your dentist can remove tartar, which is why it’s so important to see a dentist twice a year for cleanings.
How Long Can You Leave a Cavity Untreated?
What happens if you don’t fill a cavity? It may take a while to spot a cavity. They start small and on the enamel, which contains no nerves. That means the cavity won’t hurt at first. If you catch the cavity early, the treatment will be a lot easier and less expensive. This is another reason to visit your dentist regularly — they can spot early cavities with examinations and x-rays.
A cavity may start small, but it may grow faster than you think. The cavity can penetrate the tooth to the pulp in as little as three months. Once it’s there, it will be painful and cause infection and tooth loss. The sooner you find and fix the cavity, the less painful it will be.
How We Treat Your Cavities
Now that you know what happens if you don’t get a cavity filled, let’s talk about what happens when you fill a cavity. The doctors at Gairhan Dental Care know how important it is to treat a cavity early and properly, and we will recommend the proper treatment for the cavity depending on how far it’s penetrated the tooth. In the early stages, the tooth can likely be saved with a filling. Once the tooth is infected or dead, it probably will need to be replaced.
We offer cavity treatment through our general dentistry services. We determine the best treatment by starting with a full examination and x-rays. We’ll see how deep the cavity goes. From there, we can treat it with a metal or ceramic filling. If the tooth is left discolored or misshapen, we can repair it using our cosmetic dentistry services. If the tooth is severely damaged, a crown may be needed to repair the tooth properly. The most severe damage may require pulling the tooth and replacing it with a dental implant.
What Happens If You Don’t Fill a Cavity
Left untreated, a cavity can cause severe tooth damage or even tooth loss, damaging your smile. You’ll want to keep that beautiful smile of yours! Brush and floss your teeth twice daily for at least two minutes a day. If you’re in the Jonesboro, AR, area, visit Gairhan Dental Care twice a year for a thorough examination and cleaning. We’ll help you catch and prevent cavities and keep that gorgeous smile!
