The majority of adults will experience a certain degree of tooth decay within their lifetime and a high percentage of these adults have untreated tooth decay in their mouth which eventually results in tooth loss. To help prevent this it is important to have an effective oral hygiene routine in place. Regular appointments to your dentist in Nottingham is important in making sure that your oral hygiene routine is effective enough in keeping your teeth clean and free of cavities and decay.
Without good oral hygiene and regular examinations by your dentist, plaque and tartar can build up on your teeth and result in cavities and tooth decay. A cavity is a hole in your mouth which is caused by cavities, a bacterial infection of your tooth. Bacteria in your mouth thrive on sugar found in your food and drink. They produce an acid which damages the tooth over time, and if left untreated start producing a tiny hole in your teeth which eventually gets bigger and bigger and can either cause your teeth to break off or fall out.
Fillings in the treatment of tooth decay
There are many different treatment options available for cavities and tooth decay and these include fillings of many different types according to personal preference. Fillings can be made out of different compositions according to which effect you are looking for, although metal amalgam fillings were once the most common type of fillings, with a silver appearance made up of a combination of several different metals, fillings are now more popularly white or tooth coloured for a more natural and discrete appearance to help improve the aesthetics of your teeth whilst they carry out their job, such as porcelain or composite resin. Speak to your dentist to find out more about which type of fillings may be available for you.
The use of Crowns in the treatment of tooth decay
If unfortunately you have a cavity which has remained untreated for a long period of time, and has resulted in extensive damage to your tooth then you may want to find out about having a crown put in place. In this case your dentist will remove the tooth decay leaving any remaining healthy portion of your tooth intact and replacing the missing section with an individually tailored covering as a replacement for the decayed crown of your tooth. Crowns are also available in different materials again depending on the appearance and effect that you are looking for and can either be made of gold, resin, porcelain and other materials according to your personal preference and what is suitable for you.
Root canal therapy in the treatment of tooth decay
Root canal therapy is a popular choice of treatment for tooth decay which is necessary when the decay has reached and affected the pulp within your tooth. This treatment option is popular because it helps treat and restore your natural tooth rather than having to carry out an extraction or replacement of your tooth. This involves scraping out the decay from inside the tooth and then filling the hole as mentioned above.
Speak to your dentist and find out more about the different treatment options available if you are experiencing or have been diagnosed with tooth decay. The earlier that you are seen by your dentist the greater chance you have of successful treatment and the less chance there is of causing further damage to your surrounding healthy teeth.
