All You Need to Know About Dental Caries

Dental caries, which is a fancy name for dental cavities and tooth decay, are serious and dangerous dental issues that can severely harm your smile, which is why it’s important to prevent them at all costs. Unfortunately, they form when you don’t take good care of your smile and you have a high-carbohydrate diet. The bacteria in your mouth threaten the teeth until the chompers aren’t strong enough to keep fighting. Then, the bacteria attack the teeth and create damage. The damage is the hole in the tooth, known as a cavity.

Many people think tooth decay only attacks children’s teeth, but that’s not true. Tweens, teens, adults, and seniors can all receive cavities. Seniors are likely to have cavities form around older fillings, and their teeth are vulnerable because they didn’t usually take good care of their smiles while they were younger. You can typically detect a cavity if you feel or see a hole in your tooth. You can also tell if you have a toothache or tooth sensitivity. Usually, though, your dentists identify the cavity at your six-month exam.

Fortunately, tooth decay can be treated in a variety of ways. Your dentists can use an amalgam or composite dental filling if the cavity is treated early enough. If the cavity isn’t treatable with a filling, they can restore the tooth with a dental crown. If this is not a viable treatment option, he can treat the root canal. If these treatments fail, the tooth will need to be extracted.

To learn more about dental cavities in Louisa, Virginia, we invite you to reach out to our office and talk to a member of our dental team. It’s also important to schedule an appointment with Drs. Andre, Hall, and Muncy if you think you might have a cavity on one of your teeth. All you need to do is dial (540) 967-0777 and our dental team will be excited to help you!