How do you treat cavities and what are the causes? Let’s get acquainted with cavities and how to overcome them. Have you ever felt pain in your teeth for no apparent reason? Or see the color of your teeth turning darker? Maybe there’s a hole in your tooth that you didn’t know about!
What Are Cavities?
Cavities are damage to the teeth that makes the outer layer (enamel) or the inner layer (dentin) of the tooth erode. Usually, this damage occurs due to the buildup of bacteria in the mouth which turns into acid and becomes plaque that erodes teeth. Cavities are not only experienced by adults, you know, but people of all ages – including babies too. In addition, cavities are also one of the most common health problems in the world.
Why Teeth Can Have that?
Usually, cavities in teeth initially form from plaque – which is food residue that contains sugar and is converted by bacteria in the mouth into acid. This plaque then adheres to the teeth and the acid inside then erodes the layers of the teeth – starting with the outermost layer which protects the teeth from decay and disease. When the layers of the teeth have been eroded, cavities in the teeth begin to form. So, the main cause of cavities is usually the habit of rarely brushing your teeth, especially after eating sweet foods or consuming too many sweet foods.
In addition to diet or dental care patterns, there are also several other factors that can increase your risk of cavities. Here are some habits and conditions that can make your teeth more prone to cavities:
- Using toothpaste without fluoride (a substance that prevents tooth decay)
- Dry mouth
- Increasing age
- Frequent consumption of drugs, supplements, vitamins, or herbal products with sugar content
- Have an eating disorder (anorexia or bulimia) or acid reflux disease, which causes stomach acid to damage the outer layer of your teeth
- If you have the above habits or conditions, it’s time to change or pay more attention to the condition of your teeth, especially by brushing your teeth more often after eating.
Signs in your Teeth
Usually there are several symptoms in the mouth and teeth that indicate that you have cavities. However, the pain and symptoms that appear can be different for each person, especially when cavities in teeth are just starting to appear. Usually, at this stage, the pain has not been felt and the symptoms of cavities are also not clearly visible. When the cavities in the teeth get bigger, then the symptoms will appear clearly and you may start to feel pain too.
What are the symptoms of cavities? Let’s get to know it so you can handle it before it gets too bad.
- Teeth become sensitive when consuming hot, cold, or sweet food or drinks
- Pain when biting or pressing the teeth
- There are visible holes in the teeth
- Pain in the teeth for no apparent reason
- Discoloration of some parts of the teeth to white, brown, or black.
- If you start to feel these symptoms, you should immediately go to the dentist for a check-up . Usually the doctor will check with tools that slightly press the teeth or by doing x-rays to make sure your teeth are indeed cavities.
Although it may be a bit scary, don’t let you not do a check-up when you feel the symptoms of cavities because if you let it, this dental disease can cause complications, you know. Examples of complications from cavities are broken or missing teeth, permanent difficulty chewing, persistent tooth pain, and even dental abscesses that can make you suffer from more dangerous diseases.