One of the biggest personal goals that many people maintain is to acquire a healthy, lifelong grin. Indeed, an effective preventive dental routine and cosmetic dentistry can make this dream a reality, but sometimes microorganisms such as oral bacteria may have other plans instead. When your smile is riddled with discrepancies, it can be difficult to feel satisfied with one’s appearance, and sometimes people do not even know there is a major concern until it has already gotten out of hand. In today’s blog, your Auburn Hills, MI dentist explains the importance of filling your cavities, as well as how tooth decay can become more of a problem than you expect.
How Decay Affects You
It goes without saying that a person’s smile endures a significant amount of wear over the years. After all, nearly everything influences your grin’s health in a negative manner. Some common issues people face involve a poor preventive routine, damaging effects of certain foods and beverages, physical accidents, tobacco and/or alcohol usage, and so much more.
While everyone’s smile contains oral bacteria, it is imperative you practice a well-rounded preventive dental routine to help keep them at bay. Some rogue bacteria may nestle in the hard-to-access areas of the mouth, however, and thrive by feeding off of the foods you consume. This is where the early stages of dental decay begin.
When bacteria feed off of certain foods in particular, such as sugars, it causes them to secrete a destructive acid that can weaken and break down your oral structures. Over time, a soft spot will develop and eventually lead to a small hole known as a cavity. To learn more about this process, contact our team today.
It Only Gets Worse
Unlike an upset stomach or a headache, tooth decay and cavities will not get better on their own with time. As a matter of fact, the situation will become exponentially worse. You see, as the cavity gets larger, the infection will work its way deeper into your tooth. Here, it will target the dental pulp and damage your sensitive nerves contained in the roots. At this stage, a root canal treatment may be needed to salvage your tooth, otherwise you may need to face the possibility of a dental extraction.
Customized Treatment
The last thing your dentist wants is for you to lose a natural tooth, so we encourage seeking treatment as soon as possible. In the early stages of a cavity, our team can help with a composite resin filling. This process involves removing the decaying portions of tooth, then filling the open cavity with a tooth-colored composite resin.
Schedule Your Visit
Contact Advanced Dental Concepts in Auburn Hills, MI by calling 248-852-1820 to schedule your next appointment with our team, or to learn about the ways you can better take care of your smile.