Proactive & Preventive Dental Care to avoid cavities

Posted by ridgetopdental on March 30th, 2017

Is one of your teeth slightly uncomfortable or perhaps overly sensitive when you eat hot or cold foods? This could be an indication of cavity and it’s important to visit a dentist for a check-up in such situations.

Nature of tooth

It consists of three layers, enamel, dentin and pulp. The enamel is the outermost and strongest layer of the three, stronger than the bones, the dentin is the intermediate layer and is 50 % less strong than the enamel and the pulp is the innermost layer which contains the nerves and blood vessels and communicates with the bone.

How Do Cavities Develop?

Everybody’s mouth contains large amounts of bacteria which feed on leftover food particles, forming a sticky layer of plaque over the surface of your teeth. The bacteria in the plaque feed on leftover food particles, generating strong acid that gradually eats away the tough outer layer of tooth (enamel) which protects your teeth. Unless this sticky layer of plaque is regularly removed through brushing and flossing, it will gradually erode away the enamel increasing the chances of developing a cavity.

Why should dental cavities be treated?

The concept of dental treatments is to prevent the spread of infection. Any decay in the first two layers i.e. enamel and dentin can be easily controlled by dental fillings, however any spread of infection into the pulp requires a more extensive procedure, the root canal treatment, in order to prevent spread of infection to the surrounding bone and neighboring teeth

Diagnosing Tooth Decay

Your restorative dentist at Ridgetop Dental International, Bangalore can easily diagnose tooth decay by visual examination and with the help of dental x-rays. Dental X-Rays are helpful in identifying the cavities that are hidden from your naked eyes, for example in the contact areas in between your teeth.

Types of filling material to be used

The next step is to decide the type of filling that will be best to repair your teeth.

Amalgam was the material of choice two decades ago. However, this choice is far less popular nowadays, due to several reasons. The mercury used to make this filling has health hazards, the filling appears greyish black in the mouth, and also more tooth structure has to be removed to support the filling. Amalgam fillings are brittle when compared to the tooth structure and when larger fillings are placed there are high chances that the tooth fractures. Also, whenever it comes in contact with hot and cold food over time it can create tiny micro fractures in your tooth, weakening the overall structure.

These days the Best Dentist In Bangalore, including those at the Ridgetop Dental International, the dental clinic Koramangala prefer to place fillings that work harmoniously with your natural teeth, and which are made from tooth colored composite resin or ceramic. Composite resins can easily repair small to medium-sized cavities while ceramic fillings are used to repair large areas of decay. The procedure to place the filling is completely painless and your dentists at Ridgetop Dental International are well trained to complete these procedures with the use advanced technology. 

How can you prevent cavities in the future?

Although it’s critical to recognize the importance of the treatment of your cavities, it’s just as important to prevent dental cavities in the future. Having a tooth cleaning appointment once in 6 months will help you overcome such cavities most of the time. Brushing twice a day and flossing once a day will help you prevent cavities as well.

Source: http://www.ridgetopdental.in/Blog/Proactive--Preventive-Dental-Care-to-avoid-cavities