Treatments and causes of dental caries

Dental issues are becoming common these days without considering age. Lots of tasty food without following a proper oral care routine have caused dental caries in little children. This has caused dental caries in young children leading them to the dental clinic for kids more often.  

What do you mean by Dental Caries?

Dental caries is an oral issue most commonly known by the names like tooth cavity or decay. This decay constantly grows in the mouth and affects the teeth' health. 

Experienced professionals at the family dental clinic in Mumbai explain that cavities or decay tend to grow between the spaces of teeth due to stuck food particles. This begins at a spot, but the decay goes deeper and destroys the teeth' roots when it goes unnoticed for a long time. Hence regular checkups are suggested by the experts.

Kinds of dental caries:

Depending on the acute or chronic cavity, this issue is further divided as:

• A fissure cavity is formed at the chewing part of the teeth. This part is targeted as the contact of the food here is maximum; therefore, the debris is collected more there.
• Lateral cavities are formed between the spaces of the teeth where food particles get stuck while chewing, and the brush can not reach there to clean them properly.
• The cervical cavity is a type which develops at the border of the gums where plaque usually is saturated and decays due to not cleaning preferably.
• Root cavities are not usually found in the visual examination as they develop at the teeth' roots. 

A cavity or infection can sometimes form and grow even in treated teeth. These cavities are called secondary caries.

Causes of Cavity:

Poor food habits and laziness in cleaning teeth are the primary reasons explained for cavities in children by dentists at the dental clinic for kids. Some of these causes are:

High sugar and starch intake:

High-sugar food items and starch are one of the favourite carbs of teeth to break down, but some acids are produced during these breakdowns. These acids further break down the protective layer or enamel from the teeth and decay the same.

Poor hygiene habits:

When brushing twice and flossing for some minutes is conveniently ignored from the daily routine, it becomes an invitation to microbes damaging your teeth to stay there and keep hurting. Also, food items stuck into spaces decay, supporting teeth destruction.

Dry mouth:

The lack of continuous creation of saliva also indirectly supports the decay process. Saliva production and circulation in the mouth remove the remaining food debris and prevent decay. 

Therefore keeping your mouth wet is also necessary. Frequent water intake is one way to work out.

Treatment available for Cavities:

When a cavity is found in the teeth, the Family dental clinic in Mumbai focuses on cleaning the spot entirely and preventing the further spread of it. For this, there are many treatments available to go for. But professionals suggest the appropriate ones depending on the level of damage.

Options of treatment are:

1. Fluoride treatment is implemented when the cavity is detected very early. With this, the protective layer of enamel can be formed again, and the cavity can be eradicated.
2. Fillings are the next step where the damage has just begun. In this treatment, the damaged part is cleaned thoroughly, and materials like resin, dental cement or porcelain are filled in the spot to maintain the tooth levelling.
3. Crowns are for good damage where the cavity destroys the coating of the teeth. The crowns can be of porcelain, gold, resin, or other metal that covers the tooth entirely and prevents it from further damage.
4. Root Canal is done when the damage has reached the root. 
5. The last option is extraction, when no treatment can save your tooth structure.

Wrapping up:

The number of cavity damages is increasing at a faster pace in both adults and children. The only thing that can protect you from such permanent damage is daily cleaning and regular checkups with professionals.