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If your tooth has decay, it needs treatment. If you don’t intervene, that decay can spread, becoming painful and compromising your tooth.
In fact, the sooner you address dental decay, the easier it is to correct.
At Family Dental Care in West Palm Beach, Florida, Dr. Sujay Trivedi and Dr. Michael Westcott can evaluate your tooth to see what it needs. We’ll tell you if your decay can be corrected with a filling, if it needs a root canal, or, in severe cases, if we need to extract the tooth.
When do we recommend each course of treatment? Let’s take a closer look.
The exterior of your tooth is made of up hard enamel. Once decay eats past that outer coating, it reaches the underlying dentin layer. This porous substance isn’t as strong as your enamel, but it’s still fairly durable.
If we catch decay while it’s still within these harder outer portions, we can correct the problem with a filling. During this process, we remove any damaged part of the tooth. The filling restores the tooth and protects it from further damage.
Beneath dentin is the core of your tooth, which is made up of a sensitive pulp. If you have a toothache from a cavity, it probably means that the decay has reached this interior portion.
At that point, you will likely need a root canal. During this treatment, we remove the pulpy interior of the affected tooth. Because the decay has reached it, that pulp is now infected. By removing it, we put a stop to any tooth pain you’re feeling.
We then protect the treated tooth with a crown. This covers over the exposed portions of your tooth and restores its structural integrity.
Root canals are no longer the painful procedures you might be worried about. Thanks to advancements in dental technology and processes, it’s a relatively painless treatment. In fact, if you were coming in with a toothache, you should attain enduring relief afterward.
Sometimes, the deep decay has taken such a toll on the tooth that we can’t save it. If too little of the healthy tooth is left, for example, a crown wouldn’t have a firm foundation to sit on.
In that case, Dr. Westcott or Dr. Trivedi may recommend a simple extraction. This way, we can remove the problem from your mouth altogether. If you let that decay continue unchecked, the bacteria can spread to other parts of your mouth, including your jawbone.
Having the tooth extracted saves you from a bigger problem. And you don’t have to worry about a gap in your smile afterward. You have a number of options for filling that in, including a dental bridge or a dental implant.
The sooner we catch dental decay, the easier and more comfortable it is to treat. If you think you have a tooth that needs some attention, call Family Dental Care at 561-556-1698 today, or book an appointment online at your convenience.
