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Dental caries
Can cavities spread to other teeth?
Cavities are a disease caused by bacterial infections of the hard tissues of the teeth, and they are infectious but not contagious. If cavities are not treated in a timely manner, the inflammation can further infect the dental nerves, causing nerve inflammation, and even lead to damage in the apical region of the tooth. Damage to the apical region of a tooth may also lead to damage in the apical region of adjacent teeth due to inflammation. This situation can spread to other teeth, but it is limited to the stage of apical inflammation. If it is just a simple cavity, where decay is confined to the crown area of a tooth, it will not spread to other teeth. Therefore, once a tooth decays, it is necessary to carry out dental filling treatment as soon as possible.
Will tooth decay recur after a filling?
Cavities are a type of chronic, progressive destructive disease caused by bacterial infection of the hard tissues of the teeth. Normally, a cavity should not recur after being filled, but each dental filling material has a certain degree of microleakage. If glass ionomer materials are used, the microleakage is somewhat larger, and after filling, there might be tiny gaps between the edge of the filling material and the tooth, where bacteria can continue to infect, also known as secondary caries, necessitating timely refilling of the tooth. If resin-based materials are used, the microleakage is relatively smaller, and the likelihood of recurrence after the filling is smaller.
How to treat a cavity that has decayed to the root of the tooth?
For a tooth decayed to the root, it is first necessary to take an X-ray of the tooth. If the X-ray shows that the root still has some salvage value, the tooth can be preserved through root canal treatment after controlling the inflammation. If the decay has reached the tip of the root and the root has no salvage value, the tooth needs to be extracted soon after controlling the inflammation. After the tooth is extracted, it is necessary to get a dental prosthesis as soon as possible depending on the condition of the tooth. If the prosthesis is not done in time, the tooth above may elongate, and the teeth on either side may tilt towards the gap, potentially leading to the loss of space over time.
How to deal with toothache from cavities?
Cavity toothache occurs when bacteria infect the hard tissue of the tooth, approaching or reaching the dental nerve, causing a pain response from the nerve, which is also a self-protective reaction. Initial treatment for cavity toothache involves using a drill to remove the decayed hard tissue of the tooth. If the decay is completely removed and the dental nerve is not exposed, this condition can be directly treated by filling or using a pulp-capping agent to protect the nerve before filling. If, after removing the decay, the dental nerve is exposed or reached, the situation cannot be resolved with a direct and immediate filling. Instead, nerve-killing procedures are necessary, which involve root canal treatment of the tooth.
Is it normal to have pain after filling a cavity?
Mild pain after filling a cavity is normal. This is often seen when glass ionomer materials are used for fillings. Glass ionomer materials expand in volume within 24 hours of mixing, which can stimulate the dental nerves and cause pain. However, the pain should gradually decrease or disappear after 24 hours. If there is severe pain after the filling, it may be due to the filling material being too high or the tooth decay being too deep, reaching the dental nerves and causing nerve pain. This situation is abnormal and requires root canal treatment.
Will tooth decay affect the replacement of teeth?
Cavities can have a certain impact on tooth replacement. Cavities are a chronic progressive destructive disease caused by bacterial infection of the hard tissue of the tooth. If not treated in time, it may further develop, forming pulpitis or even apical periodontitis. Once it reaches the stage of apical periodontitis, it may form a gum abscess, or even swelling. During the process of new teeth eruption, they emerge outward through the position of the old tooth roots by absorbing the roots of the old teeth. If there is severe inflammation in the eruption pathway, it may lead to the destruction of the dental follicle of the new tooth, causing a developmental defect in the enamel of the new tooth. Therefore, it is possible that cavities can affect tooth replacement.