Tooth Decay

What is tooth decay?

Just a few hours after you brush your teeth, bacteria and food particles form what is called "plaque" on the surface of your teeth. Plaque contains bacterium that produces an acid that erodes the calcium in the tooth's enamel. This is what leads to the formation of tiny cavities or dental caries.

What are the symptoms of tooth decay?

There are three layers in a tooth: outer (enamel), middle (dentin) and center (pulp). The more layers that decay, the worse the damage. If plaque (filled with bacteria) reaches the pulp, the tooth will more than likely die (see Root Canal Therapy Endodontic). After a decayed tooth dies, a pus-filled pocket, or abscess, may form in the bone at the end of the root.

Treatment for tooth decay depends upon its severity. Holes (cavities) caused by mild tooth decay are usually repaired with fillings. More severe tooth decay requires repair with a crown or root canal treatment. In extreme cases a tooth will need to be extracted.

Is tooth decay painful?

Tooth decay in its early stages usually causes little or no discomfort. However, even though the pain from advanced tooth decay may stop, the infected tooth may still form an abscess because you are still fighting an infection. After the decay has destroyed the hard, outer portion of the tooth the enamel --  your tooth may hurt when you eat hot, cold or sweet foods. The pain worsens as the decay destroys more and more of the tooth. There may be some swelling and you may have bad breath or a bad taste in your mouth.

What are the risks of not getting proper dental care for tooth decay?

If left untreated the acid will eat its way through to the next layer, the dentin, eventually invading the pulp (a layer of soft tissue full of nerves and blood vessels) at center of the tooth. As the decay progresses and the tooth and root die, abscesses can form boils that break and cause blood poisoning, fever, swelling in the face and neck, and a general feeling of general malaise.