How to Take Care of Teeth with Cavities

How to Take Care of Teeth with Cavities is an essential piece for anyone interested in taking care of his/her oral health

So you’ve got cavities in your teeth and wondering how to take care of them? Virtually everyone knows having cavities isn’t the best for oral health as it may lead to a ton of other conditions that aren’t desirable.

Introduction to How to Take Care of Teeth with Cavities

A cavity is a hole that forms on the tooth. This hole always starts small before it turns bigger as the days go by if nothing is done to remedy it.

One tricky thing about this is that it doesn’t hurt or cause any pain in the beginning; so many people tend to pay less attention to this development on the tooth. But with regular appointments with a dentist, this hole will be detected as soon as possible and treated.

In this article, we shared some important information about teeth cavities and how to take care of these holes. Let’s get right into the details!

Symptoms of Teeth Cavities

The symptoms of teeth cavities vary depending on the location and extent of the hole. When the cavity is just coming up, most times, you won’t notice a sign, but as it gets bigger and deep, that’s when you start noticing some changes.

Here are some of the signs you will notice as the decay gets larger:

Spontaneous toothaches without any apparent injury to the teeth
Tooth sensitivity
Shard pain when eating or drinking sweet things, hot or cold
Black, brown staining on the teeth surface
Sharp pain when biting down

Causes of Tooth Cavities

Tooth cavities result mainly from the binding of a sticky white plaque. This stick plaque comprises bacteria, acid, saliva, and food particles joined together over time.

The journey starts with the consumption of food with sugar; the existing bacteria in the mouth turn the sugar into acid.

The acid formed sticks on the teeth, where plaque then forms the teeth shortly after eating or drinking food that has sugar. This is why regular brushing of the teeth is advisable.

It’s the work of the acid in the plaque that wears away the tooth enamel. The enamel is a hard, protective coating on the tooth that prevents decay.

It’s equally important to note that once the enamel weakens, the chances of tooth cavities increase.

The fact is, everyone is at risk of cavities at one point or the other, but the following people are at a bigger risk of having teeth holes in no time:

Anyone who consumes many sugary foods and drinks
If you are someone who’s lackadaisical about practicing oral hygiene. Say, someone who doesn’t brush their teeth regularly.
If you don’t get enough fluoride
Someone with a dry mouth
If you have anorexia or bulimia.
If you experience acid reflux disease

How to take care of teeth cavities

The first thing you need to do when you feel some pain in your teeth is to book an appointment with a dentist to have a thorough look at your teeth.

This professional may use a dental X-ray to look for the decay, and when cavities are discovered, the treatment begins.

The treatments of these cavities are dependent on the severity of the holes. Some of which are mentioned below:

Filling of the tooth

Here, the dentist employs a drill to remove the decayed part of the holes, then fills with substances, including silver, gold, or some composite resin.

Crowns

If the condition of the cavities is serious, then the professional may place a custom-fit cap over the tooth. This replaces the existing crown. Also, the decayed materials in the cavities will be removed before any procedure can proceed.

Root canal

In an unpleasant situation where the decay in the cavities results in the death of nerves, the dentist will perform a root canal to rescue the tooth.

This is a comprehensive procedure as the nerves, tissues and blood vessel tissues, and any areas of your tooth are removed. The dentist then looks for infections, if any, it is treated before the tooth is filled and the crown is replaced.

How to prevent tooth cavities

Here are some of the ways in which you can avoid teeth cavities:

You should brush your teeth at least twice per day with a fluoride toothpaste
You should also floss at least once a day
Avoid eating sugary and acidic foods such as candy, juice, soda, sweets, and refined carbohydrates
Reduce your consumption of snacks
Get dental sealants on your teeth

Recommended Foods to Fight against Teeth Cavities

Below are some of the foods you can opt for to help fight against cavities:

Calcium-rich foods
Fiber-rich fruits and vegetables
Unsweetened black tea
Water with fluoride

Final Thoughts on How to Take Care of Teeth with Cavities

Teeth cavities occur when you pay little or no attention to your dental health. Teeth are a part of the human body that will not attempt to heal itself, so it’s important to always get screened by a professional dentist to know the status of your teeth and how to take care of them if cavities are found.