You know the importance of brushing and flossing daily, but it’s equally critical that you have regular dental exams, x-rays, and cleanings. As soon as you experience tooth pain and sensitivity, you need to seek treatment to avoid costly dental work and potentially losing the tooth. Our Boulder dentist can help you stop tooth decay and prevent future problems. Don’t wait to treat that decayed tooth causing you trouble.
How Does Tooth Decay Happen?
Tooth decay is sneaky and begins before you experience any symptoms such as sensitivity to cold, hot, sweet, and sour substances. Brushing twice daily and flossing is the first way to prevent cavities. As you eat and drink, bacteria sticks to your teeth and forms plaque. That bacteria turn the sugars in the foods and beverages you consume into acids that eat away at your enamel.
Enamel is the pearly outer layer of your teeth, which softens and dissolves when a cavity is present. Untreated, tooth decay works its way through to the inner layer of your teeth called dentin. When the small nerve endings in dentin are exposed, then you begin to experience symptoms of tooth decay. Failure to treat cavities at this stage means that the decay will spread to the tooth’s root and later on to the pulp where infection develops. The pain from a tooth infection, or an abscessed tooth, is severe and can lead to fever, swelling, and leave a bad taste in your mouth. If still left untreated, this infection spreads to your jawbone and puts your entire overall health in danger.
4 Ways to Treat Tooth Decay
There are several ways to treat tooth decay, and these dental treatments rely entirely on the severity of the cavity or infection. Your options become more expensive and extensive the longer you wait to treat tooth decay.
- Tooth-Colored Fillings: Dr. Adler can reverse tooth decay and get rid of that cavity as long as the acids created by bacteria haven’t reached the dentin yet. White fillings repair the spot, and using certain types of toothpaste and mouth rinses combined with fluoride treatment can help as well.
- Dental Crown: Once tooth decay reaches the dentin layer of your tooth, there’s no turning back. A dental crown is likely necessary to preserve the structure and is made to cover the entire tooth. Porcelain crowns are made to match the shade of your adjacent teeth so we can also preserve your smile.
- Root Canal Treatment: A root canal is necessary when you have an abscessed tooth. The infected pulp is removed, cleaned, and sealed, but this leaves the tooth brittle and vulnerable to breaks and cracks.
- Tooth Extraction: In severe cases, the tooth can’t be saved and needs to be removed to protect the rest of your teeth, gums, and jawbone. However, missing one or more teeth also harms your oral health. A dental implant looks and feels like your natural tooth and involves an artificial tooth root made of titanium and an abutment that attaches a dental crown to the titanium post.
The longer you wait to address that decayed tooth in your mouth, the more your oral health and pocket book will pay.
Schedule Your Dental Exam in Boulder Today
Whether it’s time for one of your bi-annual dental exams and cleanings or you have tooth, mouth, or jaw pain, contact our dentist in Boulder today at (303) 449-1119 to schedule your appointment. Adler Advanced Dentistry serves patients in surrounding Colorado areas including Denver and Fort Collins.