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The Effects of Tooth Decay

Cavities and tooth decay can cause pain and sensitivity and if left untreated result in the need for a root canal or tooth extraction. It's best to prevent tooth decay and see your dentist regularly to ensure that cavities get cleaned and filled before a larger problem develops.

  1. Pain & Sensitivity

    • The most obvious signs of tooth decay are pain and sensitivity. Cavities can make eating cold foods uncomfortable, a symptom that can continue or increase for weeks or months after having the cavity filled. Tooth decay can also spread down to the root of the tooth and cause intense nerve pain, which may start out as sensitivity to certain types of foods. Chewy candy or other sugary foods can cause discomfort in varying degrees depending on how far the decay has spread.

    Infection & Abscess

    • Tooth decay can also lead to infection and tooth abscess by opening the interior of the tooth to bacteria. An abscess is a mass of puss resulting from infection. Both afflictions can be incredibly painful and life threatening. Antibiotics can cure an infection, but an abscess won't go away without treatment -- if left alone the infection can spread to other parts of your body. An abscess must be drained and a root canal or extraction may be necessary to completely remove the infection.

    Treatment

    • If you have any amount of tooth decay it is essential to have the cavity cleaned and filled by a dentist to keep the decay from spreading throughout the tooth. A cavity that looks small could have spread deep into the interior. When this happens your dentist may not be able to repair the tooth with a filling alone. Instead, the affected tooth will need to be drilled out and fitted with an artificial crown. Further damage may require the removal of the root of the tooth -- a root canal -- or complete extraction of the tooth.

    Prevention

    • To prevent tooth decay you should brush your teeth twice daily with fluoride toothpaste for at least two minutes each time. Don't ignore flossing -- it removes plaque and food particles from between your teeth. Brushing and flossing alone are not enough to fully prevent tooth decay. See your dentist every six months for an exam and tooth cleaning, and to identify any problems before they get out of hand.

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