Everyone knows that it is very important for us to take good care of our mouth and oral health. Of course, to do that, we must have routine check-ups with our dentist. Having tooth decay can be embarrassing and can make you feel bad about yourself. So, What Happens If You Don’t Treat Tooth Decay?
Tooth decay left untreated can result in cavities that will deepen and eventually ruin more of your teeth. Cavities cause severe pain and are unsightly. If ignored, the consequences include teeth needing to be extracted and bigger problems like jawbone deterioration and more.
It’s easy to be unaware that you have a cavity. There might not be any pain or discomfort, but some common symptoms are tooth sensitivity, dark spots or holes in a tooth, and more. Having treatment in a timely fashion and not delaying it is very important.
What is a Cavity?
A cavity is a crack that can widen and deepen over time. It is the gradual wearing away of the enamel in your teeth that is located in the outer layer of the teeth. A bacterial coating that clings to your teeth is called plaque. The bacteria in plaque create acids that break down the enamel in the tooth. Cavities can now emerge at this point. If you decide not to visit a dentist for your tooth decay treatment, it can lead to a variety of health problems, including discomfort, infection, and possibly the loss of one or more teeth. One example of a possible health problem is having gum disease. You would not want to imagine a picture of someone who has a severe gum problem. I’m not here to scare you but if you are curious, you might wanna visit Google images. Cavities can happen to anyone at any age, but some individuals likely have high risks of having them.
What Can Cause Cavities:
- Sweet or acidic foods and beverages
- Insufficient fluoride intake
- A feeling of dryness in the mouth
- Having eating disorders like bulimia and anorexia
- Neglecting to floss and brush along with bad dental habits
- Too much use of tobacco
- Lack of water intake
- Regular consumption of sugared gums
- Neglecting regular dental checkups
How to Stop Tooth Decay from Spreading?
Good dental habits in conjunction with good oral hygiene will help prevent cavities and tooth decay. Tooth decay goes unnoticed many times, simply because they don’t feel any pain right away. Visiting your dentist regularly if you are concerned about your oral hygiene will also help. How long has it been since your last dental appointment? Now, you are looking at the mirror, worried or maybe scared. What if I already have tooth decay and I just ignore the signs? If you are like Joey who loves to eat a lot (and doesn’t like to share food) then you must have a dental visit. Who knows how many cavities are in your teeth? You will not be able to all plaque from your teeth no matter how many times a day you brush and floss. According to the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, most bottled water does not contain enough fluoride to prevent tooth decay.
Tooth Decay is Difficult to See
In its initial phases, tooth decay is frequently invisible to the naked eye. For this reason, it is essential to visit your dentist on a routine basis so that your dentist may take X-rays and thoroughly examine the health of your teeth. Attending dental checkups will also ensure if there is any sign that tooth decay is starting to form in your teeth. Even if you use mouthwash and brush your teeth twice daily, the decayed part is still susceptible to more destruction. Therefore, it is important to have the problem addressed now rather than later. A basic tooth filling will usually be enough to stop the deterioration before it gets much worse.
What Happens if the Cavity Reaches the Nerve?
What Happens If You Don’t Treat Tooth Decay? An impacted tooth becomes inflamed and dies as decay spreads to the nerve. An agonizing sensitivity will possibly happen if there is an infected tooth nerve. A lot of people may be enduring this pain simply because they don’t have a better understanding of what the infection does to the nerve. You might have heard from your dentist that numerous methods may infect the tooth nerve. Deep tooth decay is the most prevalent cause of an afflicted tooth nerve. If you don’t chew your food properly, it is easier for a decaying tooth to break.
Tooth Infections Can Be Very Painful When it Spreads
What Happens If You Don’t Treat Tooth Decay? When a tooth infection spreads this will cause you immense pain and swelling in your jaw. If you don’t seek a dentist right away, it will cause nerve damage. Some people are lucky to have a minor tooth problem, a simple dental filling is enough to stop the decay. But if you are not as lucky as them you might have a bigger problem especially if there’s an infection in the nerve already. If boxing is the kind of sport you play then nerve damages are possible. A strong jab to the jaw along with a surprise bone or shell in your food can severely cause you a cracked tooth that could lead to nerve damage. With that, you will likely have to undergo tooth extraction and root canal.
Is Cavity Filling Necessary?
Cavity filling is not inevitable. There are some individuals who find cavity filling expensive and uncomfortable. Some years ago, there was a medically safe substance developed by dentists to stop the rot from spreading, and that is by filling a cavity. As time goes by, dentists have been searching for innovative ways to repair cavities with the help of advanced technology. There are several ways to know if you should undergo cavity fillings or not at all. Cavity fillings may just be the better decision for some situations. For example, if you experience pain or the hole in your tooth is visible, you may require a filling.
Tooth Decay Danger Increased
What Happens If You Don’t Treat Tooth Decay? Tooth decay danger is increased. Improper dental hygiene, dietary considerations, and genetics can place some individuals at increased danger of tooth decay. In some cases, people who experience tooth sensitivity are at risk. Do your teeth feel sensitive when you eat ice cream or drink cold beer? While eating, does a small portion of the meat stick to or between your teeth? Are there dark spots and roughness in the hole of your tooth? These are just some of the symptoms you might be experiencing right now. Go get that mirror and see for yourself! This will tell you when to consider having cavity fillings to make sure you stop that particular tooth of yours from decaying.
Do Cavity Fillings Hurt?
Fillings in the teeth might be painful at some point. Most patients say there is little to no pain throughout the treatment. If you haven’t gone to the dentist to have cavity fillings you are probably scared because you’re expecting a great amount of pain. Even Iron Man feels the same way. You won’t feel anything during a filling. Why? Simply because cavity fillings are not performed on nerve-containing parts of your tooth. There will be no pain if there are no nerves. However, it is a different case for some patients who have more sensitive teeth that need deeper cavity fillings that are directly close to the nerve. In this case, your dentist will perform anesthesia through injection before he starts working inside your mouth. This will numb the area of the infected tooth. If you have a phobia of needles, then there will be some little problems you may face. Of course, you will feel some pressure while the dentist is working, you should be aware of what is going on during the treatment right? You will feel slight pain after the surgery because the anesthetic doesn’t last forever. But this pain will go away as days pass and you will see a better result in two weeks or less.
