Cavities can still happen to our smile even with our best efforts to avoid them. Tooth decay can be caused by reasons other than poor oral hygiene and sugary snacks. Grinding your teeth can create tiny fractures in the teeth that can lead to cavities. Misalignment of your smile can make it hard for brushing and flossing to be effective, which can lead to cavities. No matter the cause of a cavity, when it happens, it is very important for it to be treated. A filling can treat a cavity and protect the tooth from further damage and decay.
A Cavity Will Worsen Without Treatment
Tooth decay is a progressive disease that will continue to erode the tooth to disastrous stages. At the earliest stage of decay, a professional cleaning could reverse the decay and stop it from developing into a cavity. Once the decay has formed a cavity in a tooth, it must be treated to stop it from getting worse. A cavity is a hole in the enamel created by acidic attacks of the decay. A filling will stop the cavity and restore the tooth to protect it from further decay, infection, or damage. Without treatment, the the decay will go deeper than the enamel, and eventually into the inner pulp of the tooth. At this point, a toothache can become quite painful because the inner tissue and nerves are affected. A root canal treatment may be required to save the tooth. Continuing to let a tooth decay could allow the tooth to become infected and an extraction may be required to protect the rest of your mouth.
How Does a Filling Help?
A filling allows your dentist will disinfect a tooth with a cavity and remove any damaged parts. A composite bonding material will then be applied to the tooth, shaped, hardened, and polished to restore the tooth in both form and function.
A filling can save a tooth from extraction.
Do you have a tooth with a cavity that needs to be treated? To schedule a consultation with Smith Family Dentistry in Greenville, TX, call us at 903-455-5750. We proudly serve patients from Hunt County, Greenville, Royce City, Sulphur Springs, and all surrounding communities.