Caries - Tooth Decay

When your teeth's enamel surface is damaged, there are chances for cavities to be formed in them and are called caries. Even though there are many reasons for this, the most common is lack of proper oral hygiene and the resulting bacterial infections. These bacteria love the sugar containing in our food items and are known to release certain acids, which in turn are responsible for the damage to teeth.

Mild And Severe Tooth Decay

There are different treatment methods available for tooth decay based on the severity of damage. Most people suffer from smaller holes due to mild tooth decay at least a few times in their life. You dentist can fill those holes for you and you can go back to chewing normally.

In case of severe tooth decay, you may have to opt to cover your tooth with a crown, so as to prevent further damage. Another method is root canal treatment where the infected part of the tooth is removed. If the tooth is damaged beyond repair, then extraction is the only way as the last resort.

Various Types Of Tooth Decay

The following are some of the types of tooth decay

Occlusal Caries

This type of tooth decay occurs on the fissures over the chewing surface (occlusal surface) of your teeth. Bacteria living on the food and sugar we consume are the cause of this and the damage caused to the enamel is usually not easily noticed.

Facial Caries

If tooth decay is left untreated or not diagnosed for some time, the patient may suffer problems on his face or other parts of his body. Swelling and forming of pus on the facial region are the most common results.

If left untreated, caries can cause severe inflammation of pulp inside of your teeth. Bacterial infection can adversely affect rest of the patient's body as well.

Warning Signs And Symptoms Of Tooth Decay

The Following Symptoms Can Be Signs For Tooth Decay:

Halitosis

Bad breath and halitosis are one and the same. Bacteria living in the mouth are responsible for this foul smell coming out of your mouth. They live of the food and drinks we consume and create tooth decay and bad breath. Tooth decay and lack of proper oral hygiene are the two major causes for halitosis. If food particles decay in your mouth, that would form foul smelling sulfur compounds.

Toothache

Toothache can be a symptom of tooth decay. Prolonged tooth decay, without proper treatment, can cause infection of the tissue inside the teeth and this can lead to severe toothache.

Reasons For Tooth Decay

There can be a variety of reasons for tooth decay. Poor oral hygiene and lack of proper treatment are the major reasons for this condition. It may take as long as seven years for tooth decay to create a cavity in your teeth. So you may miss it for such a long time before you notice this condition. Every one should pay extra attention so as to prevent tooth decay from their early childhood itself. The most common reasons for this condition are:

Carbohydrate Rich Food

Food items with lots of starch, sugar, carbohydrates etc in them are bound to leave a portion of them in between teeth and in any cavities. Bacteria love the sugar content and would start working on them fast. And these bacteria release acids, which are the main culprit behind tooth decay.

Build Up Of Plaque And Bacteria

Plaque is formed when bacteria works on food particles left on and in between teeth. If proper teeth cleaning and bacteria removal does not take place, this would speed up tooth decay. Once the bacteria gets through the enamel, they will start working their evil designs on the pulp inside.

As diabetic people are more prone to frequent changes in their blood sugar levels, they are worse affected by tooth decay. As such they need to be extra vigilant in their oral cleanup routine and prevent any plaque or bacterial build up.

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