Your mouth is the mirror image of your body. ‘Cavity’ is best described as a hole in your tooth. This develops when a tooth decays and breaks down. If not treated in time, the hole will increase and can grow bigger and deeper.
But the next question that comes to your mind will be why? Why do cavities also known as ‘Caries’ develop? What causes ‘Cavities’? The reason could be plaque which is a sticky substance containing millions of bacteria that cause tooth decay by wearing down the outer layer of your teeth called enamel.
“But I don’t feel any pain in my tooth, do I still have a cavity?” A question asked frequently by patients sitting in a dental chair.
What one needs to understand is tooth pain though important but is not the only symptom of the cavity. There are various other symptoms to watch out:
- Food Lodgement – If you have food lodgement which is consistent, you either already have a cavity or its development.
- Bad breath – If you are brushing your teeth and tongue regularly along with flossing and still you sense something wrong with your breath then it is a time to visit a dentist, the chances are you may have a cavity.
- Constant Bad Taste – If you feel a chronic bad taste in your mouth and it is not going even after brushing twice a day then it may be a sign of a cavity.
- Sensitivity – If you are feeling hot or cold sensations, then it is a sign of sensitivity.
- Dark Spots – Dark spots visible on the tooth can be because of cavities or a sign of developing a cavity.
- Holes – If you notice holes or can feel these holes with your tongue, then visit your dentist immediately as you already have a cavity.
Do we all actually know what cavity is? Sure, that we’ve heard it but hearing something and having a detailed knowledge are two different concepts. This is because cavities carry a lot of myths with it:
- Sugar-Free soda’s do not cause cavities – It’s better than sugary soda’s no doubt but anything that makes your teeth acidic is havoc. This is because sodas are low in pH and can cause tooth erosion which later surely leads to the cavity.
- No Pain, No Cavity – As discussed above many people feel that if it’s not paining then its not cavity. But many a time it happens that you feel the pain when it is too late.
- That Brown spot – Is it cavity? – A lot of time it happens that the decay process starts but then it stops at the enamel (outer layer of teeth) leaving a brown stain on it. But that necessarily does not mean that you don’t have a cavity.
- A filling is forever – A myth that people carry when they hear about fillings. Yes it helps to cure cavities but if your food habits or your oral hygiene habits are not as it should be, then it can hamper your filings as well.
- Cavities are for kids – Many people believe this to be true, but poor oral hygiene habits or sugary drinks can cause cavity at any age. The risk of the cavity is from the day, a tooth erupts to the day, the last tooth falls. Dental Care is everything.
Just a visit to the dentist can help you get rid of the cavity. Fillings are the basic treatment for cavities. It involves drilling away the decayed part of your tooth and replacing the lost structure with glass ionomer, composite, metal inlay or tooth-colored rstorations.
For more advanced decay, the treatment technique is Root Canal Treatment which should be done by a specialist in Endodontist.