Most individuals are aware that if they have a cavity, they must get it filled. But what happens if you don’t treat a small cavity? It can turn into a bigger problem, and you may need more extensive dental work done.
The most common problems that can result from not treating small cavities are toothaches, cracked teeth, and holes. If the cavity isn’t treated, the bacteria will continue to grow and spread. This can harm the tooth and perhaps cause it to fall out.
If you have a cavity, it’s important to get it treated as soon as possible. Leaving a small cavity untreated can lead to bigger and more expensive problems down the road. In this blog post, we’ll take a closer look at what happens if you don’t treat small cavities. We’ll also go through some of the therapy alternatives you have. So if you’re worried about a small cavity, be sure to read on!
Can Small Cavities Go Away?
Small cavities cannot go away by themselves; they will persist and cause other problems. If a minor cavity is not addressed, it will simply get larger and cause harm to the neighboring teeth and gums. It’s believed small cavities can hide below your gums, where you don’t feel them or see them. When small cavities are left untreated for a long time, they can turn into place plaque starts to form thanks to bacteria in saliva that refuse to leave because of lack of contact with air as it builds up over time.
Even worse — without treatment, the cavity continues to grow until it reaches healthy tooth tissue or tooth nerve that then causes pain. Treatment typically involves a filling procedure done by a dentist that rebuilds the decayed part of the tooth. If small cavities are left untreated, there are other consequences that can result: toothaches, cracked teeth, and holes in teeth. In addition to those, small cavities can also cause sores and ulcers on the tongue or cheek which might be a sign of infection. Fever is another indication that something is wrong and needs attention.
A dangerously high fever could be a sign of an infection spreading beyond the mouth.If any of these issues go unaddressed, they can lead to more serious health concerns. It’s always best to err on the side of caution and visit your dentist for regular checkups so small cavities can be treated early on.
Do You Need to Fill Cavities Right Away?
There are a lot of small cavities that can go without being filled right away. Cavities have to be measured first and should only be filled if they’re considerable or if they’ll keep going deeper. Filling small cavities is necessary only when they are in the way of other teeth or when they are in a place that’s hard to clean. If you suspect that you have small cavities, it’s best to go and see your dentist right away. Your dentist will be able to determine whether or not the cavities need to be filled. However, small cavities should not be left untreated because that can lead to bigger problems.
Teeth with small cavities have a very specific look, so if you’re unsure about what your teeth look like, it’s best to show them to your dentist for inspection. Don’t avoid small cavities just because they don’t hurt now. They will eventually start hurting and at that point, it might be too late to save your tooth. Toothaches are very unpleasant but small cavities are even worse because they cause pain over time instead of all of a sudden. If a small cavity is left untreated then the only thing that remains is an expensive operation or, if that doesn’t work, the tooth has to be removed.
One small cavity can lead to sores and ulcers on the tongue or cheek which makes eating hard. You could lose weight because small cavities are extremely painful especially when you’re trying to eat something hot like soup. If untreated small cavities also lead to dangerously high fevers, then you might have an infection that’s very serious and could affect your immune system if not treated quickly.
How do Dentists Fix Small Cavities?
Cleaning small cavities is an easy task for dentists. They use small hand tools like mirrors, picks, probes, and small drills to remove hardened tooth matter (calculus) or exposed decayed teeth inside of the mouths of their clients.
The tools are used on an area of exposed, sensitive sub-gingival tartar (white stuff). Through this process, dentists can ensure that there are no signs of inflammation beneath the hard film. This ensures that if the problem were left unchecked it would not lead to gum disease or oral cancer. Dentists make small holes to remove small pieces of hardened tartar. Then they use little brushes developed particularly for narrow places to clean the small crevices. The process of fixing small cavities does not usually require numbing shots, and it is a relatively short and painless process.
How Long do Small Cavities Take to Fill?
Small cavities usually take 20 minutes to fill. The dentist will use a small drill to remove the decay and then fill the tooth with a resin that is matched to the color of your teeth. Some fillings take a little bit longer, for example, if a large cavity requires a more complicated procedure or if they have to put in a crown. Some small cavities may only take 5 minutes to fill while some larger ones can take up to an hour and a half.
What is the Difference Between Small Cavities and Large Cavities?
One of the main differences between small cavities and large cavities is that small cavity are small holes in your tooth where food/bacteria has collected whereas large cavities are deep holes with decay all the way down to your root canal. It’s important to treat small cavities as soon as possible because they often lead to larger, more complicated problems such as infections that cause gum disease which will need more extensive dental work.
Does Filling Small Cavities Hurt?
It doesn’t necessarily hurt if you use the right technique. The dentists will likely numb the area with an anesthetic before filling small cavities, but this isn’t necessary if it’s just a small cavity and there’s no pain. Instead of using needles to numb the tooth, they’ll use anesthetic drops. With small cavities, they may only need to drill in order to fill in small imperfections in your teeth that are affecting your bite or scraping against other teeth when you’re chewing food. They do this by drilling into the wall of the cavity (it won’t feel like anything) and then rotating a tiny silver tube (pointy end out) around inside until it gets full of liquid cement; sometimes there is enough space to put a small metal post in at the same time. This will seal the tooth and protect it from further decay, as well as prevent bacteria from spreading to other teeth.
