Protecting your teeth from decay
Tooth decay, or dental caries/cavities, happens when mouth bacteria break down sugars and starches in food. This creates plaque, which dissolves the enamel, which is the hard outer surface of a tooth. As tooth decay progresses, bacteria and acid breach the enamel, leading to irreversible cavities, white or brown spots and sensitivity to hot, cold, or sweet foods.
The process of tooth decay
- Plaque Formation: Bacteria combine with saliva and food debris to create plaque on teeth.
- Acid Production: Plaque bacteria metabolize sugars, releasing acids.
- Demineralization: Acids damage the enamel on teeth by stripping away minerals like calcium and phosphate. At first, this process often shows up as white spots.
- Enamel Destruction: Continued acid attacks erode enamel, resulting in cavities.
- Dentin Decay: When decay breaches enamel, it spreads quickly through the softer dentin, increasing sensitivity to temperature or sweet foods.
- Pulpal Infection: Decay affects the tooth’s pulp, causing pain and possibly leading to an abscess.
Prevention:
To prevent tooth decay, brush twice daily with fluoride toothpaste, floss every day, limit sugar, and see your dentist every six months.
Brush Twice Daily: Spend two minutes brushing your teeth with fluoride toothpaste every morning and night.
Floss Daily: Remove food debris and plaque from between your teeth by flossing once each day.
Fluoride Rinse: Rinse your mouth with a fluoride mouthwash to eliminate bacteria and fortify your enamel.
Treatment:
Fluoride treatments offered by your dentist can help restore the enamel and sometimes reverse the decay. These treatments contain higher concentrations of fluoride than regular toothpaste and can be applied as a gel, or foams can restore enamel, sometimes reversing the cavity.
Fillings:
For cavities that have formed, the most common treatment is a filling. By removing decayed tooth tissue, cleaning the area, and filling the void with materials like composite resin, amalgam, or porcelain to restore function and prevent further decay.
Crowns:
if tooth is severely damaged or weakened, a custom fitted cap (crown) is placed over the remaining tooth structure.
Extraction:
If the tooth cannot be saved, it is removed, potentially followed by a bridge or implant.
At the Smile Team, we provide our clients with the best treatment options for them so book a consultation with Dr. Abid Hidayat today. We are open Mondays to Saturdays and speak GUJARATI, HINDI, URDU, TAGALOG and ARABIC, Dari. You can reach our family dental care office in Scarborough, Toronto, Ontario, by calling 416-546- 5599.