Featured Image Caption: Do You Know You Have a Cavity?
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Far too many Americans are putting off the crucial dental care. For most, the cost of dental care is too much to handle. Others do not have dental insurance and push checkups further down the calendar.
In fact, roughly 74 million Americans do not carry dental insurance. More than 6 million people lost their dental insurance due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The problem is that putting off dental care can have serious repercussions. It can lead to tooth decay, pain, and dangerous infections.
Read on to learn about the impact of untreated cavities. Explore topics such as how to prevent cavities and how are they treated.
How to Prevent Cavities?
The best way to reduce dental costs is by preventing cavities from occurring in the first place. You can achieve this with a commitment to oral health care.
Brushing your teeth at least two times per day is a good starting place. You should also floss routinely and use anti-cavity fluorides to protect your teeth.
Seeing the dentist two times per year for a check-up is also important. Here, the dentist takes X-rays to detect cavities and other potential issues before they grow into a crisis. Start off by searching for who was voted as the best dentist and scheduling an appointment.
What Is a Cavity?
Simply put, a cavity is a hole in the tooth. A cavity does not have to hurt. However, there are serious implications for those continuing on with untreated cavities.
As the hole grows, it may create pressure on a nerve. This is where pain enters the equation.
The growing hole also makes the tooth weak and vulnerable. This often leads to fractured teeth and potentially expensive repairs.
Lastly, the hole is a breeding ground for bacteria and other harmful substances. This often leads to a tooth abscess which is an infection of the tooth.
How to Treat Cavities?
There are a few different ways to treat cavities. The dentist will first check to see if you are a candidate for a restorative filling. This is where the dentist fills the hole with composite resins or porcelain.
If tooth decay is beyond this point, a crown is a potential treatment. Here, the dentist drills decayed areas and even a portion of the healthy tooth. The end result is the creation of an artificial covering that goes over your tooth’s natural crown.
The most serious cases require a root canal or tooth extraction. If the tooth pulp is seriously diseased it needs to be removed.
A filling is inserted where the diseased pulp used to be. Medication may be necessary inside the root canal or to treat infections that develop in the mouth.
What Happens to Untreated Cavities?
It is now clear that cavities require immediate diagnosis and treatment. By deferring dental care, you are inadvertently increasing the cost to you. Procedures like root canals are significantly more expensive than a filling.
The best advice is to practice routine oral health care. Also, make sure to see your dentist twice a year for check-ups. If you enjoyed this article about what happens to untreated cavities, check out our blog for more great content.
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