 Tooth Decay begins when the protein of
your saliva combines with the sugars and carbohydrates
of food particles left on and between your teeth. This
combination creates bacteria-laden plaque, from which
acid is produced that eats away at the hard enamel shell
around your tooth. Left unchecked, a hole will be created
in the enamel and a cavity will rapidly form in the softer
dentin which lies under the enamel. If the cavity is caught
in time, usually a Filling
will correct the problem. Larger cavities may require
an Inlay or Onlay, or a Crown.
However, if nothing is done and the decay spreads, the
sensitive pulp (nerve) may become involved, often causing
an Abscess, and Root
Canal Therapy or Extraction
may be required. |
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No cavity on first x-ray.
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Cavities that start between the teeth can't be seen, but they can be detected on an x-ray.
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In the x-ray above (on the right), we showed you where a cavity has formed since the last x-ray was taken. There is another cavity shown in the x-ray on the right. Can you find it? It's difficult for the untrained eye to spot. Click here to see where it is. (Hint: It's not the
left edge of the top left tooth. That's just the edge of the
frame around the X-ray).
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