Dental Glossary

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A few hours after brushing, bacteria and food particles start forming plaque on the surface of your teeth. These bacteria produce an acid that erodes the calcium in the tooth's enamel and leads to the formation of minute cavities. If left untreated, the acid will eventually penetrate through the tooth enamel and cause more rapid and devastating decay of the dentine layer.

Because the dentin is porous, it decays much faster than the overlaying enamel. Thereby allowing a large cavity to form inside the tooth without showing any visible signs.

As the decay continues, bacteria migrate through the porous dentin and infect the pulp. When your body launches an immune response to the infection, the blood vessels around the tooth enlarge and press against the nerves entering the tooth causing the tooth to ache.

If the infection proceeds and a significant amount of bacteria invade the pulp, then the tooth and nerve may die. This will eventually stop the pain, however, since the body is still fighting the infection, an abscess may form at the tip of the root.

This will cause the tooth to ache constantly, and be extremely painful to chew on. If the abscess is left untreated, it will destroy the bone around the tooth, and may lead to the formation of a small fistula, or canal, through the bone and its overlying gum. Just before the fistula reaches the surface of the gum, a swelling, or boil may form. This can persist, or burst releasing foul tasting pus into the mouth.

Tooth decay usually does not pose a serious health risk if treated early; however, if the decay is allowed to progress, the tooth will likely die, and the spreading infection may result in general blood poisening, fever, swelling in the face and neck, and a general feeling of unwellness.

Treatment?

Self Help: The best treatment is preventative. Through proper brushing, flossing, and dental visits the chances of significant dental decay are greatly reduced. Sealants can also be used as a good preventative measure.

Professional Help: In the early stages, a dentist can treat the tooth decay by cleaning and filling the cavity. More advanced tooth decay may require the dentist to perform a root canal therapy. If an abscess becomes untreatable by root canal therapy an apicoectomy may also be necessary. This is a surgical procedure in which the infected tissue at the base of the root is removed. If the tooth and underlying bone is severely decayed, then the tooth may need to be extracted.


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