What is Decay?
Decay, also known as cavities or caries are permanently damaged areas in the hard surface of your teeth that develop into tiny openings, gaps, or holes. They don’t happen overnight, it’s a lengthy process that occurs over time and is amongst the world’s most common health problems.
Decay can be caused by a combination of factors, including bacteria in your mouth, frequent snacking, sipping sugary drinks and snacks, and not practising appropriate teeth cleaning. Tooth decay is especially common in children, teenagers and older adults, but anyone who has teeth can get cavities, including infants and even babies.
Tooth decay evolves through five stages, and at each level of decay, a different treatment is required – if cavities go untreated, they get larger and larger and can affect deeper layers of your teeth which can lead to severe toothache, infection and even tooth loss. To keep decay away, regular dental visits along with gold-star brushing and flossing habits are your best protection against cavities and tooth decay.
So, let’s look at those five stages and the journey of decay.
1st Stage: Chalky White Spots
When tooth decay begins it shows up as small white spots on the surface of your dental enamel. Plaque is the primary cause when it comes to tooth decay. Plaque is a clear sticky film that coats your teeth. When you eat, the bacteria in plaque begin to feed on the sugars and starches within your food. Once these sugars are metabolized, these bacteria release acids on the surface of your enamel. If the plaque is not cleaned away sufficiently it can harden into calculus. Calculus (also known as Tartar) makes plaque more difficult to remove and creates a shield for bacteria to flourish.
During this stage your body does its best to protect you and your teeth from these acids via a natural defence process called remineralisation. Remineralisation is when your mouth uses your saliva or fluoride in the water you drink to restore the minerals in your teeth which are being broken down by the acids. If your body cannot remineralise quickly enough, the next stage of decay continues.
2nd Stage: Acid Attacks
Once your dental enamel has started to decay and your body cannot restore the minerals, a lesion will form within the tooth. Lesions proceed with a cavity or hole in your tooth, and they are not painful since there are no nerves in the dental enamel. However, your dentist must treat a lesion in the enamel before it progresses into a cavity. Your dentist can protect your tooth from further damage by using fluoride treatments or dental sealants.
3rd Stage: Dentin Decay
If the lesion in your tooth is not treated, the bacteria and acid will continue to wear down your dental enamel to the next layer of your tooth: the dentin. The dentin layer is hidden beneath the dental enamel but covers the pulp. This layer is softer than enamel and less resistant to acid. Dentin has tiny tubes that directly communicate with the nerve of the tooth, this is what causes sensitivity and pain. If you’ve not been receiving regular check-ups, this pain might be the first sign to you that something is wrong. It is recommended to visit your dentist to have restorative treatment (such as a filling) at this stage, or your dental decay may worsen to involve the pulp of your tooth.
4th Stage: Destruction Continues
As bacteria and acid continue their warpath through the integrity of your teeth, the decay reaches the centre of your tooth, the pulp. At the pulp resides all of the blood vessels and nerve endings and they can become swollen and irritated by the bacteria, so at this stage you may be experiencing significant pain. Discomfort can even extend outside of the tooth root to the bone. Unfortunately, at this stage of decay, the only way to rescue your natural tooth and prevent further damage is to undergo a root canal procedure – this is where your dentist will remove the infected pulp from inside the tooth.
5th Stage: Abscess
If your decay has not been intervened by a dental visit at this point, your dental decay will go even further beyond the pulp, it can go on to cause what’s called an abscess. An abscess is an infection of the tooth’s root, and yes you guessed it…it can be very painful. This is very serious, as it can damage your jawbone and surrounding tissues as well. Surgery is most likely the only form or treatment at this stage and you should visit your dentist immediately if you are suffering from an abscess.
If you’ve noticed your child is experiencing dental decay, it’s important to visit your paediatric dentist immediately. To schedule your appointment, contact the team at PDSWA today!