A cavity is a tiny hole in the tooth where it has been eroded by bacteria. If not taken care of it can lead to bigger problems like infection and tooth loss. Cavities are preventable with good dental hygiene and regular dental visits to your New York dentist. However, if you do happen to get one, your dentist can fix it for you by filling it to keep it from further damage. Here we will discuss cavities and tooth fillings.
The Midtown Manhattan dentist will do an examination and take X-rays of your teeth to determine if you have cavities and what the best course of action is to prevent the problem from becoming worse.
You may not even know if you have one, they start out very tiny and over time the tooth may become painful, swollen, and infected requiring immediate treatment with antibiotics. The infection can get down inside the pulp of the tooth where the nerves are located causing a great deal of discomfort.
Cavities can be caused by several things including:
The treatment recommended by Midtown Manhattan dentists for cavities is to fill them with a material that will seal the hole in the tooth preventing further decay. The area of the tooth will be cleaned to remove the decay so it stops it from getting any worse. Then it is filled to protect it. This filling material is tooth-colored so it will not show when you open your mouth to eat or speak. No one will see that you have fillings.
This is done right in New York Total Dental office and consists of a few simple steps:
The dentist will numb the area surrounding the tooth with a local anesthetic. The decay is removed using a high-powered drill to get in the nooks and crannies of the tooth to make sure it is completely gone. The tooth is then cleaned and prepared for the filling. The filling is packed into the tooth and smoothed out. It is then polished to match the appearance of the other teeth.
You may have a bit of discomfort and sensitivity in the tooth. It may be sensitive to heat and cold temporarily until it heals. Just keep up with your dental visits to your New York dentists and practice good oral hygiene.
If the tooth is left as it is it will continue to decay more and more. If it gets bad enough you may have to have a root canal, or worse, tooth extraction. Taking care of the tooth while it is in the early stages is the best way to prevent further tooth decay and the problems it can cause. It is also more cost-effective to treat it when it is only a filling than paying for a root canal or extraction and then having to deal with a missing tooth.
The best way to prevent cavities and problems with your teeth is to practice good oral hygiene. Brushing and flossing twice per day, especially after meals, and keeping regular dental appointments to your NYC dentist. Your dental can spot problems right away and you can avoid a lot of costly treatments by taking a proactive approach to your dental health. Remember that some people are more susceptible than others to dental caries. Your Midtown Manhattan dentist will determine if you are prone to have more caries and will help you prevent them with some prescriptions.
With proper care, your fillings should last 15 years or longer. You will need to be careful when biting into hard foods and foods that are abrasive. The fillings can get worn down as time passes. Your dentists will keep an eye out for signs of wear and any loose fillings can be fixed right away. That is why it is so important to keep regular New York Total Dental visits, a lot of problems can be prevented if they are discovered when they are just beginning.
New York Total Dental offers cosmetic dentistry and general dentistry services including full mouth rehabilitation, Invisalign, dental implants, orthodontics, veneers, periodontics gum treatment, teeth whitening, crowns and bridges, teeth fillings, and dental cleaning to Midtown Manhattan, Upper Manhattan, Lower Manhattan, and Downtown Manhattan in New York City.
