Like many circumstances that may constitute an emergency, a broken bone or a severely cracked tooth must be tended to immediately. For a number of other Circumstances, however, this is far from the case. In fact, many common circumstances such as an upset stomach or a minor headache are such circumstances that many choose to wait out in hope it will improve. In today’s blog, your Northwest IN dentist will take a look at dental decay and explain why this phenomenon is so threatening to the health of your smile.

The Source of Most Concerns

Whether you experience a sharp pain from a tooth, develop periodontal disease, or lose a structure due to infection, understand that it is oral bacteria that are at the source of all these problems. Indeed, every smile contains oral bacteria, and it is up to you to practice excellent oral health habits to ensure they are kept at bay. They can cause a number of concerns and developments that impact your grin, and it is oftentimes better to act sooner rather than later when a circumstance arises, such as a cavity.

Believe it or not, decay is actually a common concern when it comes to oral health. In its earliest stages – the cavity – decay can affect any number of teeth. What’s more, it can continue to get worse and worse without proper treatment, threatening the integrity of your entire grin. You can often treat cavities efficiently and easily with the help of a composite resin dental filling, but keep in mind that if the infection has progressed greatly, your restoration could fail.

Damaging Structures on the Inside

When decay begins to affect the internal tissues of your tooth such as your dental pulp and nerves, your structure may be in trouble. At this point, the infection has reached inside the tooth, thus rendering a filling useless, as reconstructive or restorative treatment is now needed to properly address the problem. Indeed, your dentist will likely suggest a root canal treatment to remove the infected portions and replace it with a dental material and a crown to ensure proper healing. While this procedure is a bit more extensive, bear in mind that it may be the last option remaining that can save your natural tooth. For more information, contact our team today.

Lack of Treatment Will Result in Tooth Loss

Oftentimes if a structure has decayed past the point in which a root canal would be effective, the structure is considered compromised and lost. Your next best option would be an extraction and replacement with a dental implant to protect your grin’s function. Contact our office today to learn more about your options and how our team can help.

Schedule Your Visit

Dental concerns are not like many other issues in the fact that simply waiting for it to get better will not work. Contact Healthy Smiles Family Dentistry in Northwest IN by calling 219-938-2637 to schedule your appointment or to learn more about the threat of decay.