If the decay reaches your tooth's main structure, called dentin, then a filling can replace the lost tooth structure after your dentist has cleaned the cavity of bacteria and infection. However, if it reaches the tooth's center chamber, called the pulp, a filling may no longer suffice to address it.
When you have a cavity, you need to go to the dentist for a filling. If the tooth continues to decay and the hole gets deeper, you will need a root canal.
Size of the cavity
If the cavity is detected on time, a filling is good enough. However, if the decay has affected a significant portion of the tooth, the dentist will suggest a dental crown.
If a cavity goes untreated for two years or longer, severe damage to the tooth is likely. You will notice discoloration around the tooth, swelling around the gums, and severe pain and sensitivity. The bacteria will probably have damaged the tooth root and pulp at this point. You may lose the tooth.
Dental fillings are often adequate for a fix, but in cases of severe infection, they may not work. If you have extensive damage from bacteria, you may need a dental crown.
What kind of cavity doesn't need to be filled? If you have a very small cavity limited to the enamel (or outer layer) of your tooth, you may not need to get a filling. This is especially true if you have had very few cavities in the past and practice good oral hygiene.
The biggest factor a dentist looks at when deciding if a tooth can be saved is how much “good” tooth structure there is left. If the tooth is broken at the gumline and has a big cavity that goes down to the bone then there is little hope that the tooth can be saved.
Feeling or seeing a hole or having a sensitivity to sweets and cold temperatures are also common with caries. In the case of a deeper cavity that has reached the pulp or nerve canals, you may notice a bad taste in your mouth.
Like most ailments, the longer you leave a cavity without treatment, the worse it's going to get. In a span of 3-6 months cavities can reach the nerve of your tooth. That's not good. Really not good.
Not always. On occasion, after the placement of a restoration, a tooth can become non-vital and require root canal treatment. Every time a filling is placed or replaced, there is trauma to the pulp (nerve and blood supply). It can be a combination of many things that will cause this trauma.
If the filling has not been adequately prepared, the mixture may not bond properly to the tooth tissue and this may cause the filling to fall out or cause a gap, which could then allow further decay to form and lead to long lasting toothache as the pulp of the tooth becomes infected.
In general, adults develop an average of three cavities during their lifetimes. This means that the average adult has three or four fillings in their mouth. Some patients end up with ten or more fillings depending on how well they care for their teeth.
It can take as long as five years from the time a cavity begins to develop to when the tooth needs treatment to prevent the cavity from spreading further. For some people, though, that period can be as short as a few months. No two mouths are unique, so there is no standard timeline for the development of cavities.
Drilling Too Deep into the Canal
There are several injuries that could occur when a dentist drills too deep into a tooth's canal. First, the patient could suffer nerve damage as a result of a root canal procedure if the dentist drills through the apex of the tooth and into the inferior alveolar nerve.
Deep filling – If the hole is deep and close to the pulp, the dentist has to place a filling which will be very close to the pulp. If the filling is too close to the nerve, it may get infected slowly. Dentists can't predict the time frame for the tooth to become infected.
The tooth hurts a lot for 3-4 days, then this pain slowly subsides. This is the phase when the nerve of the tooth dies. You no longer notice the tooth after 3-4 days of the pain sensation because the nerve has now died.
Most dental procedures are completed without complications. However, some are more likely to result in nerve damage. These include tooth extractions, root canals, fillings, and dental implants. Usually, it's the trigeminal nerve that's affected.
Dental pain does not necessarily indicate it's too late to address the issue, but delaying treatment can lead to severe consequences. By recognizing the early signs of a cavity, seeking professional dental care, and maintaining regular checkups, you can stay proactive in preventing and treating cavities.
Damaged roots or loss of bone around the tooth are among the most common situations where a tooth can't be saved and needs to be extracted. If that's the case, we will strongly recommend removing the tooth.
Without prompt treatment during the early stages, periodontal disease can damage the tissue and bone surrounding and supporting the tooth. Severe trauma or injury to a tooth can damage it beyond repair, leaving tooth removal as the only solution.
Discoloration: Teeth with cavities may appear yellow, brown, or black. Pain: Throbbing pain in your teeth is usually a sign of an infection, which means the cavity has reached your tooth's pulp (center). Bad breath: When cavities aren't treated, the bacteria from the decay can cause bad breath.
What Does a Cavity Look Like? While it is usually difficult to see a cavity in its beginning stages, some cavities start with a whitish or chalky appearance on the enamel of your tooth. More serious cases can have a discolored brown or black color. However, most often there are no distinguishable red alerts.
Symptoms Of a Cavity
These include an inability to eat or drink things that are very hot or sweet, teeth that have noticeable stains or small openings, discomfort when eating, and having unpleasant breath. To prevent further damage, you must see the dentist as soon as you begin to experience any of these symptoms.