Holes in teeth are a very common dental issue. They can be painful or painless, and this is dependent on the extent of the hole (dental cavity). It’s important to fix any cavity in a tooth, as left untreated you may require further additional treatment including root canal treatment or crowns- in extreme circumstances, you may end up losing the tooth!
Why do I have a cavity?
A combination of factors can cause the development of a dental cavity, however the 2 most common factors are diet and oral hygiene. A diet high in sugars coupled with a less than efficient oral hygiene regime (including flossing) can lead to the development of dental cavities.
Just because you have a dental cavity and it is not painful, that isn’t a reason to delay having it repaired- rest assured it won’t miraculously get better. Professional dental emergency treatment is required
What will the dentist do?
A thorough assessment is required. The emergency dentist will perform a clinical examination and may take dental x-rays to help determine the extent of the cavity and whether there are signs of any infection of the roots. If there is enough tooth structure to retain a filling, you may be offered a composite filling . If the cavity is particularly large you may be recommended having a laboratory made restoration like a crown.
If there are signs of a root infection then you will have two main options, either to restore the tooth with a root canal treatment or to extract the tooth
Regular visits to the dentist can help with early detection of dental cavities. In order to help minimize the risk of dental cavities, a proactive approach to a sensible balanced diet, regular visits to the dentist and good oral hygiene will also help.
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