TOOTH DECAY

Tooth decay is a very common disease whose treatment is also very simple. However, if not detected and treated promptly, it can lead to tooth loss.

CAUSES OF TOOTH DECAY

In the mouth, sugar or starch is converted into sugar and then fermented by bacteria to form acids that attack tooth enamel and dentin. The destruction occurs continuously without stopping without timely treatment intervention. It then causes loss of enamel and dentin, forming holes in the teeth that we often call cavities or decayed teeth. Signs of tooth decay can be a cavity, a black or sometimes milky white spot on the tooth.
Tooth decay can be divided into 3 levels:

Enamel loss: when destruction occurs only in the enamel layer
Shallow dentin caries: when the dentin enamel destroyed layer is less than 2mm
Deep dentin caries: when the dentin enamel layer is destroyed by more than 2mm

SYMPTOMS OF TOOTH DECAY

Depending on the level of tooth decay, the patient may have no symptoms, or may experience pain when eating and drinking. Some cases of severe pain are caused by bacteria attacking the tooth pulp, causing acute pulpitis or pulp necrosis.

PREVENTION AND TREATMENT OF TOOTH DECAY

PREVENTION

Brushing teeth after eating and before going to bed is a simple and easy way to significantly reduce tooth decay.
Limiting snacking on sweets and cakes during the day.
Regular dental check-ups for early detection and treatment. Treatment for a tooth with decay but the pulp has not been affected will be very simple, fast, low cost, and highly effective.

TREATMENT

If tooth decay is not treated, the loss of tooth substance will increase. At the same time, bacteria will grow into the alveolar bone, causing infection in the alveolar bone. In cases of severe infection, the tooth cannot be saved and must be extracted. Therefore, when tooth decay is detected, it is necessary to treat it immediately without hesitation. Depending on the condition of the decayed tooth, there are appropriate treatment methods:

In the case the tooth is decayed but the pulp is still healthy and the patient has no symptoms of pain or only mild pain when eating and drinking, dental filling is the solution of choice.
In case the decay cause pulpitis or pulp necrosis and there is no infection in the alveolar bone, it is necessary to treat the tooth pulp before filling.
In case of tooth decay that has infection in the alveolar bone, depending on the level of infection, correct treatment will be applied. If the infection is mild, root canal treatment and tooth filling can be performed. In case of severe infection causing acute pulpitis or necrosis of the pulp, the decayed tooth must be extracted to avoid infection to other surrounding teeth.

Nowadays, the dental filling material commonly used is composite. However, composite discolors after a few years and does not retain well in cases of large cavities. Therefore, when the cavity is large, a better solution is to implement inlays or onlays, which are casts of gold or porcelain equal to the size of the cavity, attached to the tooth with adhesive material. The advantage of inlays and onlays is that they do not change color over time. In addition, patients with teeth of large cavities or teeth that have undergone root canal treatment can choose composite filling solution followed by a dental crown.