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.
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.
Do all cavities turn into root canals? The good news is not all cavities will require root canal therapy. This is one of the reasons why dentists recommend regular dental checkups. Your dentist can see early signs of cavities and treat them with fillings before the decay penetrates the nerve tissue.
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.
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.
On average, as a broad timeline, it can take anywhere from six months to four or five years before a cavity needs treatment. The conditions of your mouth change daily. Conclusion: a cavity can start to form, then not have the right conditions to develop.
In most cases, by the time you notice the symptoms of tooth decay, it will be too late to reverse the damage with natural methods. You will need to consult your dentist to prevent the damage from spreading to other areas of the tooth.
In most cases, root canal therapy is a better way to treat an infected tooth than an extraction. However, there are exceptions, such as if the tooth has suffered extreme damage. Your dentist will carefully analyze your oral health before making a treatment recommendation.
Change in daily routine: If you weren't getting cavities before and now you are, it's highly likely that something in your life has changed that's causing the sudden onset. Consider lifestyle factors like diet, stress, starting school or a new job, and new habits.
The dentist will determine the need for a root canal through one or several of the following methods: x-rays, the cavity test, selective anesthesia (to identify where the source of pain is when the patient doesn't know), thermal and electric testing, or by tapping on the problem tooth.
When you get an x-ray, this will give definitive proof that you need to get a root canal. The x-ray gives the dentist a clear view of any infection in the tooth especially one at the root of the tooth.
Untreated cavities can cause pain and infections that may lead to problems with eating, speaking, playing, and learning. Untreated cavities can lead to abscess (a severe infection) under the gums which can spread to other parts of the body and have serious, and in rare cases fatal, results.
A Fluoride Treatment Will Mitigate the Cavity's Progression
Fluoride remineralizes enamel to make teeth as strong as possible. Such fortified teeth are that much more resistant to cavities. In some cases, pinpointing a cavity in the early stages and applying a fluoride treatment will reverse the decay.
At this stage, the tooth has eroded the enamel and is starting to erode the dentin underneath. If you start to feel any kind of pain in your tooth it is your tooth's way of telling you to get to the dentist as quickly as possible. Once the cavity has reached the dentin it will start to decay more rapidly.
The longer a cavity goes untreated, the more damage it will cause. If a cavity goes untreated for a year or more, it can cause tooth loss. Cavities that go untreated for longer periods of time can seriously endanger your health.
Answer: Of course. The moment a cavity forms, it is essential that you receive a filling as soon as possible. The decay won't remain frozen in time. It will grow and will continue to destroy your dental tissue until your treatment.
Since patients are given anesthesia, a root canal isn't more painful than a regular dental procedure, such as a filling or getting a wisdom tooth removed. However, a root canal is generally a bit sore or numb after the procedure, and can even cause mild discomfort for a few days.