Cavities/Tooth Decay

While prevention is the best cure for tooth decay, you may be prone to cavities, which is why it’s best to visit your family dentist twice a year and call at the first sign of discomfort.

Although you only see the white outer covering of your teeth, the hard enamel, your teeth actually have multiple layers. When these layers develop holes due to trauma or decay, bacteria find a home into those holes. As the bacteria enlarge the holes, the loss of integrity compromises the tooth.

Cavities, also called caries or tooth decay, result from frequent snacking, improper cleaning, sugary drinks and sweet foods. An improper bite can also cause tooth decay because it makes cleaning your teeth more difficult.

Cavities start small, but if you don’t have them treated, they grow larger and eventually ruin the structure of the tooth, leading to tooth infection and potentially the need for an extraction. Dr. Victoria Kushensky, a family dentist at Bronx Dental Spa, offers the best methods of tooth decay treatment in Bronx, NY. He and his knowledgeable staff teach you the helpful habits you and your family can practice to prevent more cavities.

Symptoms Requiring Tooth Decay Treatment

Cavity symptoms vary depending on its size and location. If you have a small cavity in the early stages, you may not even know it’s there. Larger cavities — or those closer to a tooth’s nerve — may cause other symptoms, such as:

• Pain or achiness, especially when eating, drinking or talking
• Sensitivity to hot, cold or sugary foods and beverages
• Holes or pit marks in your teeth
• Noticeable tooth pain when you bite down
• Staining that looks white, brown or black on the surface of your teeth

Those at Risk for Tooth Decay

Anyone who still has teeth can develop cavities. Certain individuals, however, show a greater tendency to develop tooth decay and cavities. Common risk factors for tooth decay include:

• Eating too many clingy foods such as honey, sugar, soda, milk, dried fruits, chewy candies, chips, dry cereal or other heavily processed, sugar-laden foods
• Eating often or sipping on sugary drinks constantly, as this continuously bathes your teeth in the clingy sugary substance
• Inappropriate or inadequate dental cleaning either from infrequent brushing, ineffective flossing or not visiting your dentist in a timely manner for a professional cleaning
• A lack of fluoride in your drinking water or toothpaste, as fluoride helps provide a barrier for your teeth against tooth decay
• A compromised immune system
• Worn-down dental devices or fillings, which harbor bacteria and are harder to clean
• Medical conditions such as frequent heartburn and eating disorders bathe that the teeth in stomach acid, weakening and pitting the enamel
• Certain medication that cause dry mouth, as saliva helps keep your teeth clean

Complications from Tooth Decay

Cavities in adults and children can cause lasting complications. Bacteria breed infections that compromise your immune system. Infections cause nerve pain, swelling, discomfort and even fever. Sometimes, although rarely, infections spread from the mouth into the rest of your body with serious or life-threatening results.

Broken, chipped or cracked teeth with cavities often lead to tooth loss. And without restorative treatments, tooth loss causes shifting teeth that may result in chewing and bite problems. If you don’t have tooth decay addressed, you can expect to need more expensive dental treatment in the future.

Tooth Decay Treatment

Your Bronx, NY family dentist relieves your discomfort with one of several strategies. He treats your cavity by removing any decayed or compromised material. Then, he fills the hole with dental bonding material. The filling usually holds for 10 to 15 years.

If Dr. Victoria Kushensky can’t save your tooth, he needs to replace it completely. He has multiple options for replacing the tooth, including a dental bridge, dentures or implants. Your family cosmetic and implant dentist in Bronx, NY always strives to preserve your natural teeth, but if an infection or decay advances too far, that goal isn’t always possible.

Prevention Is the Best Treatment

Dr. Victoria Kushensky helps you implement a prevention plan to fight further damage or future tooth decay. Some suggestions include:

• Brush after every meal to remove any foods, sugars or bacteria that remain in your mouth
• Rinse with a special mouthwash that removes acids and bacteria, while depositing fluoride
• Drink tap water because most city water contains fluoride
• Get frequent professional cleanings to remove tartar and plaque from hard-to-reach areas
• Undergo fluoride treatments at your family dentist if you live in an area without fluoridated city water or suffer from a lack of other fluoride sources
• Receive tooth sealants that keep bacteria and decay from penetrating enamel, especially good for children
• Reduce or eliminate frequent snacking or sipping on sugary drinks
• Eat fresh fruits and vegetables and drink unsweetened beverages

Your Bronx, NY dentist may perform other procedures in combination with common tooth decay treatments. If you need cosmetic dentistry treatment, for example, to improve your smile after substantial cavity treatment, you can receive the same quality service at Bronx Dental Spa in Bronx, NY. Contact us today!