The Three Main Stages of Tooth Decay Intervention

What happens as you experience tooth decay?

There are generally a number of stages that dentists look at as they’re treating patients. Let's talk about a few of these different kinds of interventions that you're likely to encounter as you sit in the dentist chair.

As we age, many of us have some measure of tooth decay. Even with pretty good home care, you may be a victim of a genetic predisposition to cavities. Some people get their first cavities as children – others develop them later in life. Diet makes a difference, too, and so do various other factors. Teeth that are irregularly shaped can trap food, leading to tooth decay.

Cavities

This is the first stage of the intervention. As a cavity develops, if the dentist catches it, he or she will drill it out and fill it, stopping the tooth decay and protecting the rest of the tooth from wear.

Root Canal

If cavities have come too close to the root of the tooth without detection, dentists need to go in and drill through the nerve in order to stop chronic tooth pain. The tooth is still in the mouth, but it's technically not ‘alive’ in the same way that the other teeth are, with nerve endings that can feel exposure to hot or cold or impact.

Tooth Extraction

When a tooth gets too far gone, it has to simply be pulled out of the mouth. That's when dentists have to look at outfitting patients with dentures or false teeth.

Getting the Right Dental Advice

The key to minimizing these kinds of damage is getting the best dental care and dental advice from skilled professionals. At Jacas Family Dental, we take the time and the care to talk to you about how home care can help, and what to do at each of these critical stages. In a general sense, every positive intervention decreases the amount of dental care and the extent of dental care that you'll need later. We can also help you to avoid things like bone loss and gum disease.

When we say that we are a dentist for the whole family, we're talking about the many guests that bring patients of all ages to our dental practice. In a warm, welcoming environment you can get the care that you need. Come in for great dental treatment from a local shop that cares about your family as we care about our own.