Tooth decay is a serious dental issue that needs to be dealt with immediately. Here’s how to treat tooth decay and ways you can prevent it from happening in the future.

Tooth Decay

Tooth decay is when the enamel of your tooth begins to wear away. This can happen for a variety of reasons. The most common include bacteria, consuming high sugar foods, lack of dental care, and plaque. If you feel you are suffering from tooth decay, you need to contact your dentist immediately. The worst thing you can do for yourself, with any dental issue, is to put it off. It’s better to catch something in the beginning stages before it worsens. If tooth decay worsens, you could lose a tooth or have to go through more extensive treatment to fix the problem.

Common symptoms of tooth decay to look for include:

• toothache
• spontaneous tooth pain
• tooth sensitivity
• sharp pain when eating or drinking
• visible holes in your tooth
• brown, black, or white staining on tooth surface
• pain when you bite down

What To Do Next

If you have recognized you could be suffering from tooth decay, the best thing to do is call the dentist. There are a variety of treatment options to rid your mouth of decay. One of the best preventative and treatment options for tooth decay is fluoride treatments. Fluoride treatments done by a professional contain more fluoride than community water or over-the-counter treatment options. The next treatment option includes fillings, which are typically the most common tooth decay treatments. Fillings come from various materials and are designed to match your tooth’s color, so nothing looks out of the ordinary. Severe tooth decay has three different types of treatments; crowns, root canals, or tooth extractions. These options are saved for the worse case of tooth decay.

Is Tooth Decay Preventable?

Proper oral care is one of the best ways to prevent tooth decay from occurring. Practicing good habits like brushing your teeth twice a day, flossing, and rinsing with fluoride, lower your chances of tooth decay. It’s also important to visit your dentist once a year at minimum, if not every six months for proper cleanings. Dentist offices have special tools that can remove things like plaque and tartar, that your everyday toothbrush cannot. The more consistent you visit your dentist, the better idea they have about your teeth’ health.

If you would like to learn more about tooth decay and how you can properly treat it, please visit Wytheville Dental Group. At Wytheville Dental, we offer various services that keep your teeth looking and feeling their best. To schedule an appointment, please visit us online here or call us at (276) 228-2777 today!