Cavities (caries): causes, symptoms, how to deal with it

Definition

What is a cavity (caries)?

Tooth decay or dental caries is a condition of damage to the outermost (enamel) and innermost (dentin) teeth.

In medical terms, cavities are called cavities or caries. Basically, dental caries is a decay process that results in damage to tooth enamel, dentin, and even tooth cementum.

The appearance of holes in the teeth can be caused by many factors. Starting from bacteria in the mouth, consuming sugary foods and drinks, to poor oral hygiene.

Pain in cavities should not be underestimated. The hole will become bigger until it affects the innermost layer of the tooth (dentin). As a result, you may experience severe toothache, infection, or even tooth loss.

How common is cavity toothache?

Quoted from Mayo Clinic , cavities are a very common dental problem. Therefore, it is not uncommon for this type of toothache not to be taken seriously by some people.

In fact, if left unchecked, severe cavities will cause serious tooth decay. These consequences consist of tooth decay coupled with serious complications.

Dental caries can also be experienced by anyone of all ages, from children, adolescents, adults, and even the elderly. Even so, it is the teeth of children and the elderly who most often experience cavities.

You can prevent this condition by avoiding the risk factors.

Signs & symptoms

What are the signs and symptoms of cavities (caries)?

Signs and symptoms of a painful cavity vary, depending on the severity and location of the cavity.

If a new hole forms, you may not experience any symptoms. However, when the damage has become more widespread, the symptoms of caries that occur include:

• Toothache that appears suddenly for no apparent reason.
• Mild to severe pain when consuming sweet, hot, or cold foods or drinks.
• Teeth become more sensitive.
• Very clearly visible holes appear in the teeth.
• There are brown, black, or white stains on the surface of the teeth.
• Bad breath.
• Bad taste in mouth.

There may be signs and symptoms not listed above. Therefore, if there are concerns regarding certain symptoms, consult your doctor.

When to see a doctor

If you experience toothache or pain in the mouth, see a dentist immediately.

It is important to regularly check your teeth and do tartar cleaning at the doctor every 6 months. Even if your teeth feel fine.

Most people often never realize they have a cavity in their teeth. As a result, the hole is getting bigger and causing severe pain.

By checking the condition of the teeth regularly, the damage can be prevented and treated as early as possible. In addition, the sooner tooth decay is detected, the cheaper and easier the treatment will be.

Cause

What causes cavities (caries)?

The main cause of cavities is plaque. Plaque is a sticky layer consisting of bacteria and acids that are formed from foods or drinks containing sugar that turn sour.

Some bad habits that you do often can also cause plaque on your teeth, for example, rarely brushing your teeth and consuming excessively sweet foods. When you eat foods that are high in sugar, the bacteria in your mouth will produce acids.

Saliva mixed with bacteria, acids, and food debris will form plaque that sticks to the teeth. Plaque that continues to build up on your teeth over time will eat away at the enamel.

The enamel that is eroded due to acid or tooth erosion will provide an opening for bacteria to enter the dentin and then form a hole. Well, that's when you experience caries and it can cause toothache.

The size of the cavity varies from person to person. It depends on how much plaque is formed on the teeth.

Risk factors

Who is at risk for cavities?

Everyone is basically at high risk of experiencing this problem. However, the following factors put you at an increased risk of developing painful dental caries.

1. Age factor

Children and the elderly are more at risk for tooth decay. The habit of eating sweet foods and brushing your teeth rarely are the two things that most often cause tooth decay in children.

Meanwhile, over time, the teeth can wear out and the gums begin to recede, making the teeth more susceptible to root damage. In addition, a number of drugs that may be consumed by the elderly can also inhibit saliva production.

Though saliva plays an important role in moisturizing and cleaning the mouth from plaque and food debris.

2. Location of the teeth

In many cases, the formation of cavities in the teeth is more common in the back teeth, namely the molars and premolars.

These two teeth are difficult to reach by a toothbrush. This is because the back teeth have a lot of grooves, holes and gaps, so that food scraps often stick there.

3. Sweet foods and drinks

All kinds of food that you consume can actually affect the health of your teeth. Sweet foods and drinks are delicious food for the bacteria in the mouth.

When you eat a variety of sweet foods, the bacteria in your mouth will produce acids. Well, saliva mixed with acid can form dental plaque which eventually causes holes in the tooth surface.

4. Sleep with a bottle of milk

Not only adults, tooth decay can also be experienced by babies. Babies who already have teeth and often bottle-feed them until they fall asleep are at high risk of tooth decay.

Cavities in a nursing infant are called bottle caries, rampant caries, or teeth.

That is why, make sure you are careful to clean your baby's teeth after drinking milk and before he falls asleep.

5. Lack of fluoride

Fluoride is a mineral that occurs naturally to help protect teeth from decay. Please note that fluoride is found in mineral water, toothpaste and mouthwash.

6. Dry mouth

Dry mouth is a condition when the parts of your mouth lack saliva. Saliva is needed to clean food residue and plaque from your teeth.

In addition, the substances contained in saliva can help fight the acids produced by bacteria. This condition is usually caused because you are taking certain drugs or are going through a medical procedure, such as chemotherapy.

7. GERD

If you have a history of acid reflux disease or GERD, then you are at risk for this problem. GERD is a condition that causes stomach acid to flow up the esophagus to the mouth.

The combination of stomach acid and acid produced by bacteria can erode the surface of your teeth. Over time, this condition can cause serious tooth decay.

8. Eating disorders

Anorexia and bulimia can interfere with the production of saliva in your mouth, increasing your risk of developing cavities. In addition, food disorders can also cause erosion and cavities in the teeth.

Medicines & Medicines

Ithe information provided is not a substitute for medical advice. ALWAYS consult your doctor.

How are cavities (caries) diagnosed?

The presence of holes can be seen when you check the condition of your mouth and teeth regularly.

The doctor will ask about your habits in treating your teeth and mouth while examining your teeth. When examining your teeth, the doctor will look for soft spots that could potentially open holes in the teeth.

If necessary, your doctor may order an X-ray to check the gaps between your teeth.

How to treat cavities (caries)?

To reduce the symptoms of cavities or cavities that hurt, you can do things like the following:

1. Tooth filling

If the hole in the tooth is not that big and the damage hasn't spread too deep, the doctor will usually do a tooth filling.

A filling is used to cover the cavity on the surface of the tooth so that it does not expand to the surrounding area.

2. Root canal treatment (root canal)

When the decay has reached the deepest part of the tooth (dentin), you may need root canal treatment.

Root canals (root canal) is a minor surgical procedure performed when the cause of the decay has killed the tooth.

This procedure can prevent infection in the pulp from spreading to the other teeth.

3. Remove the tooth

Tooth extraction is usually the last option if the tooth is already badly damaged and cannot be treated with various other treatments. If only one tooth is extracted, you can simply get a local anesthetic.

However, if you have to extract more than one tooth at a time, you may be given an oral sedative or general anesthesia.

Consult more about this at the dentist.

4. Antibiotics

Doctors can prescribe certain types of antibiotics to prevent infection, including in the condition of dental caries.

Antibiotics for toothache must be taken according to doctor's instructions. Do not reduce, add, or stop medication without your doctor's approval. If the doctor gives antibiotics, the antibiotics must be drunk completely.

Complications

What are the complications of cavities?

Cavities that hurt and are left alone without proper treatment can lead to dangerous tissue infections. This infection can spread or spread to other organs and cause various health problems.

Here are some complications of cavities that you need to be aware of:

1. Severe pain

Sometimes cavities can cause pain that you shouldn't take for granted. In general, the severity of this pain will depend on the hole you have.

Pain due to cavities is recurrent. You can feel a throbbing pain in the tooth that is problematic and then suddenly disappears.

Then, the pain can appear more intense until it radiates to the ears, jaw, and even causes headaches.

2. The occurrence of an abscess

When the infection gets worse, bacteria will collect in the mouth, causing an abscess, aka a pocket of pus. This condition usually occurs when the infection has spread to the soft tissues of the patient's pulp, mouth, or jaw.

The appearance of an abscess will cause pain which makes chewing painful.

3. Gum disease

Caries can also cause inflammation of the gums. In medical terms, this condition is called gingivitis. Inflammation not only affects the gums where the cavities are located, but can also spread to other parts of the gums.

As a result, the gums will appear red and swollen. Your gums also bleed easily when you brush your teeth. If gingivitis is not treated promptly, then you can develop a severe gum infection called periodontitis.

4. Changing the structure of the jaw

Widespread infection can lead to more serious tooth decay. In fact, this problem can cause tooth loss.

Tooth loss automatically causes the rest of the teeth to shift, affecting the structure of your teeth as well as the structure of your jaw as well.

5. Broken teeth

Teeth are one of the strongest members of the body. However, when something like an injury occurs it will cause the tooth to break.

Not only because of falling, biting something hard or even chewing food too hard can also be the cause.

Broken teeth can also occur because of the dangers of cavities. This happens because the teeth are weak and unable to withstand the load so that they risk breaking easily.

6. Heart disease

Did you know that cavities or cavities left for too long can cause heart disease? Yes, if the dental problem you are experiencing is left alone, then you are at high risk of developing heart disease.

Various studies have shown that periodontal disease is closely related to heart disease. This can happen because bacteria in the mouth can enter the bloodstream, which can cause infection in the inner muscle of the heart (infective endocarditis).

7. Stroke

Cavities (caries) can also cause strokes. Several studies have found that the risk of tooth infection and stroke is related to one another.

Sufferers c erebrovascular ischemia reported to be prone to problems with oral infections. Cerebrovascular ischemia is a condition when the brain does not receive enough fresh blood flow, which triggers an isemic stroke.

Both heart disease and stroke are both at risk of causing death.

Prevention

How to prevent cavities (caries)?

In general, the way to prevent cavities is to maintain proper oral and dental hygiene. In order to have a healthy mouth and teeth, here are the steps you can take.

1. Brush your teeth 2 times a day

In order for your teeth to be clean from plaque and food debris, be diligent about brushing your teeth every day. Experts recommend that everyone brush their teeth twice a day, in the morning after eating and at night before bed.

Don't just brush your teeth. Make sure you are doing the correct and proper brushing technique.

2. Fluoride toothpaste

There are many choices of toothpaste products on the market. However, toothpaste containing fluoride is known to be more effective in helping to strengthen and protect the outer layer of teeth (enamel).

Not only that. Fluoride toothpaste can also help re-mineralize areas of teeth that have started to decay.

3. Choose a good toothbrush

Apart from toothpaste, make sure you also choose the right toothbrush. Choose a toothbrush that has soft bristles and has a brush head shape that fits your oral cavity.

Not only that, the toothbrush you use must also be comfortable when held.

4. Floss your teeth (flossing)

Toothbrush alone is not enough to clean food debris between your teeth. Another thing you can do is floss your teeth (flossing).

Flossing your teeth can help remove plaque and bacteria more effectively. The reason is, dental floss can reach food debris that is difficult to reach by a toothbrush.

5. Reduce sugary foods

Bacteria in the mouth are very fond of sugar. Therefore, reducing foods high in sugar is the right solution to prevent dental caries.

Remember, don't avoid sugar altogether. You are only asked to limit or reduce your intake of foods that are high in sugar.

After eating and drinking sweet things, don't forget to brush your teeth. This is done so that food debris does not stick and settle on the tooth surface longer.

6. Routinely check with the dentist

By regularly checking your health at the dentist, you can avoid the risk of experiencing severe tooth decay.

When your doctor discovers a specific problem with your teeth, he or she can immediately prescribe a treatment that suits your needs.

Ideally, dental examinations are carried out every 6 months. Even so, you may be advised to check more often because it requires more intensive care.

If you have any questions, consult your doctor for the best solution to your problem.