Cavities: A Growing Epidemic

Cavities are also called dental caries they occur as a result of tooth decay. It is a chronic childhood disease and has become common in adults too. They are caused by a combination of factors, including not cleaning your teeth well; frequent snacking and sipping sugary drinks. Cavities may also result from dry mouth, a problem that is associated with no or little saliva in the mouth.

Cavities are decayed areas of your teeth that develop into tiny openings or holes and can erode to a painful level within months or years. They are usually painless until they grow very large inside the tooth and destroy the nerve and blood vessels in the tooth. They are most prominent on the back molars, just above the gum line on all teeth or in the gap between your teeth.

Cavities are treated by a dentist in a number of different ways depending on the extent of tooth decay. Cavities are usually painless until they grow very large and affect nerves or cause a tooth fracture. If decay is halted before it reaches the dentin, the enamel can actually repair itself. Treatment of a cavity generally consists of two steps: Removing the decayed portion of the tooth under local anesthesia a high-speed dental drill is used to remove the decay and prepare the tooth for the filling. Early treatment is less painful and less expensive than treatment of extensive decay. When tooth decay advances far enough to permanently harm the pulp, the only way to eliminate pain is to remove the pulp by root canal treatment or tooth extraction.

Baby teeth that develop caries serve as a warning that good preventive measures must be taken with permanent teeth. Brush at least twice daily, floss, avoid sugary snacks and go to the dentist regularly. Cavities can be prevented by following good dental hygiene. As the saying goes....a stitch at a time saves nine.