A “rotten tooth” refers to a tooth affected by decay or a cavity. Dentists can often fix these issues, with treatment depending on the severity of the damage. Early intervention helps preserve the tooth and prevents serious problems. Promptly addressing decay can prevent pain, infection, and tooth loss.
Understanding Tooth Decay
Tooth decay, also known as dental caries, involves the breakdown of tooth structure due to acids produced by bacteria in the mouth. These bacteria feed on sugars and starches from food and drinks, converting them into acids. This acidic environment then attacks the tooth’s outermost layer, the enamel.
Over time, this acid exposure causes demineralization, where the enamel loses minerals. If this continues without sufficient remineralization, the enamel weakens and can break down, forming a cavity. As decay progresses, it moves past the enamel into the dentin layer, and if untreated, can eventually reach the innermost pulp, which contains nerves and blood vessels.
Common Dental Solutions for Decay
When tooth decay is identified, various dental treatments are available, depending on the extent of the damage. Each approach aims to remove the decayed portion and restore the tooth’s structure and function.
Fillings
Fillings are a common solution for early to moderate tooth decay where the cavity has not reached the tooth’s pulp. The dentist first numbs the area with a local anesthetic. The decayed tooth material is then carefully removed using specialized instruments.
After the decayed material is cleaned out, the space is prepared and filled with a restorative material. Common filling materials include silver amalgam, which is durable and cost-effective, often used for molars. Tooth-colored options like composite resin are popular for visible teeth due to their aesthetic appeal. Porcelain and glass ionomer are other materials used, with porcelain offering durability and stain resistance, and glass ionomer sometimes releasing fluoride to help prevent further decay.
Dental Crowns
Dental crowns, also known as caps, are used when decay is extensive but the tooth structure remains viable, or when a tooth is weakened by a large filling. A crown is a custom-made, tooth-shaped cover that encircles the entire visible portion of the tooth. This cap restores the tooth’s shape, size, strength, and appearance.
The process typically involves two visits: during the first, the tooth is prepared by removing a small amount of enamel, and an impression is taken to create the custom crown in a lab. A temporary crown is placed while the permanent one is being fabricated. In the second visit, the permanent crown, made from materials like porcelain, zirconia, metal alloy, or a combination, is bonded to the tooth with dental cement.
Root Canal Treatment
Root canal treatment is performed when decay has reached the tooth’s pulp, causing infection or inflammation. This procedure aims to eliminate bacteria from the infected root canal system and save the natural tooth. Symptoms that may indicate a need for a root canal include severe tooth pain, swelling, or lingering sensitivity to hot or cold.
During the procedure, the dentist creates a small opening in the tooth’s crown to access the pulp chamber. The infected or inflamed pulp is carefully removed using tiny instruments. The inside of the tooth is then thoroughly cleaned, disinfected, and shaped. The empty space is filled with a rubbery material called gutta-percha and sealed. Often, a permanent crown is placed afterward to protect the treated tooth and restore its full function.
When a Tooth Cannot Be Saved
Despite advances in restorative dentistry, sometimes tooth decay is too advanced, making saving the tooth impossible. In such cases, extraction becomes necessary to prevent further oral health complications.
A tooth may need to be removed if decay has extensively destroyed the tooth structure, especially below the gum line, or if a severe infection has caused irreversible damage to the surrounding bone. This also applies when the tooth is fractured too deeply to be repaired by a filling or crown. Once a tooth is extracted, various options are available to replace the missing tooth and maintain oral function and aesthetics.
Replacement options after extraction include dental implants, which are titanium posts surgically placed into the jawbone to act as artificial tooth roots, providing a stable foundation for a crown, bridge, or denture. Dental bridges involve one or more artificial teeth held in place by crowns on adjacent natural teeth. Removable partial dentures, consisting of false teeth on a gum-colored plate, are another option to fill gaps from missing teeth.
Preventing Future Tooth Decay
Preventing tooth decay involves consistent oral hygiene practices, mindful dietary habits, and regular professional dental care. These measures work together to minimize the conditions that allow decay to develop.
Brushing teeth at least twice a day with fluoride toothpaste is fundamental. Using a soft-bristled brush helps remove plaque, a sticky film of bacteria. Flossing at least once daily is equally important to clean between teeth and along the gumline, areas a toothbrush cannot effectively reach.
Dietary habits also play a significant role in preventing decay. Limiting sugary foods and drinks reduces the amount of fermentable carbohydrates available for oral bacteria to produce acids. Choosing water over sugary beverages and avoiding frequent snacking helps limit the frequency of acid attacks on tooth enamel. Regular dental check-ups and professional cleanings, typically every 6 to 12 months, allow dentists to detect early signs of decay and provide preventive treatments like fluoride applications or sealants. Fluoride strengthens tooth enamel, making it more resistant to acid attacks and aiding in remineralization, which can reverse early decay.