Tooth decay is usually caused by too much consumption of sugary foods and drinks without maintaining a healthy dental health routine. Failure to regularly brush your teeth causes plaque to build up on your enamel. The bacteria present in plaque feed on the sugar and starch you consume and produce acids that corrode and weaken your enamel. When your enamel breaks, the bacteria spread to the softer tissue of your tooth known as the dentin than the pulp located at the center of your tooth. Eventually, a severe infection develops in your pulp and spreads to your gum.
Signs of tooth decay
According to our specialists, you might experience symptoms such as pain when biting down on food when you have a decayed or rotten tooth. The pain may be so extreme that it affects your ability to eat leading to poor nutrition. You might also experience sensitivity when you take hot or cold substances and toothache when you eat sugary food.
Another common symptom of tooth decay is holes in the teeth. These holes may be stained brown, black or white. Moreover, if the decay has progressed to cause an infection, you might observe pus and some swelling. An infection causes severe pain which may interfere with your daily life activities.
Treating tooth decay
When you notice any of the mentioned symptoms of tooth decay, you must visit our offices as soon as possible. Our dentists will examine your teeth to see how far the decay has spread. If the decay hasn't reached your pulp, we can clean out the rotten part and fill the area with a dental filling material.
However, when the tooth decay is severe, we will have to extract the tooth to prevent further damage. Drop by our offices for routine check-ups where we can detect tooth decay at its early stages and treat it.
Dental Blog | Lehigh Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery | Allentown, PA Check out the dental blog that Lehigh Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery in Allentown, PA put together to educate our patients. Lehigh Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, 1251 S Cedar Crest Blvd #311, Allentown, PA 18103 - (610) 435-6161 - lehighoms.com - 10/6/2024 - Related Phrases: oral surgeon Allentown PA -
Tooth decay is usually caused by too much consumption of sugary foods and drinks without maintaining a healthy dental health routine. Failure to regularly brush your teeth causes plaque to build up on your enamel. The bacteria present in plaque feed on the sugar and starch you consume and produce acids that corrode and weaken your enamel. When your enamel breaks, the bacteria spread to the softer tissue of your tooth known as the dentin than the pulp located at the center of your tooth. Eventually, a severe infection develops in your pulp and spreads to your gum.