Tooth Decay

Tooth decay is caused by acids made by bacteria eating any sugars that are not cleaned out from the mouth soon enough.

It is important to see your dentist regularly because while the decay is still small they often have no symptoms or very mild pain with cold. Often a small, simple filling is enough to restore the tooth at this point.

Tooth decay starts underneath the top most layer of the teeth (the enamel) and spreads. When the decay has destroyed the support beneath the enamel, the enamel will break, exposing the decayed tooth beneath. This is what most people know as a hole in the tooth. It is actually a very late stage in the disease and the decay has actually been there for months or even years. With a large decay, fillings are also large, a more severe restorative measure like a crown will might be required, or at worst, the tooth will require extraction.

If the decay is particularly deep, it will reach the nerve of the tooth. When that happens, pain from the tooth can be very severe. Often it will wake people up from their sleep. In this situation we would need to either conduct a root canal or extract the tooth.

In conclusion, do not leave pain in your teeth alone! The longer you ignore it the more greater the chance of pain, the more extensive the restoration, and the more expensive! As a parent also do give appropriate attention to your child if they complain of pain or you note any dark colouration upon their teeth.