Routine Dental Visits Help You Avoid Advanced Tooth Decay

Routine Dental Visits Help You Avoid Advanced Tooth Decay

Posted January 26, 2016 by Wager-Evans Dental

routine dental visits help avoid advanced tooth decay When you make your oral health an active concern, you can significantly reduce your risk for developing more serious problems with your teeth. If you want to avoid complicated dental procedures, you can prevent a little problem from becoming a big issue by making regular visits to your dentist. Problems like cavities worsen over time. If you leave a cavity unaddressed until it becomes too uncomfortable to ignore, it can become severe enough to warrant a root canal treatment. During a routine checkup, your dentist can check your teeth for signs of decay, and address them before they cause symptoms.

Cavities And Treatment

The type of treatment you will need for a cavity depends on how advanced that cavity has become. Initially, a cavity only causes decay on your enamel. At this stage, your dentist can remove any damaged material, and can restore your tooth with a filling. The composite resin used for a filling can bond directly with your tooth, and can visually blend in with your enamel, for an inconspicuous treatment. If a cavity is left unaddressed, it will continue to penetrate your tooth until it infects the living tissue in your pulp. Once a cavity has accessed this inner portion of your tooth, you will need a root canal to treat it, which involves removing a considerable amount of material. However, if decay affects a tooth’s living tissue, a root canal may be necessary to save you from losing your tooth.

Prevention Versus Restoration

It is always better to avoid a cavity than to treat one, even if it is caught early. With good at-home habits and routine visits, you can fight the onset of tooth decay.