Dent

alcar
ies
Cav i
ti
esarepermanentl
ydamagedareasinthehar
dsurfaceofyourt
eetht
hatdevel
opint
o
openingsorholes.Cav
iti
es,al
socal
l
edtoothdecayorcari
es,
arecausedbyacombinat
ionof
factor
s,i
ncludi
ngbacteri
ainyourmout
h,fr
equentsnaki
ng,si
ppi
ngsugarydri
nksandnot
cleani
ngyourteethwell
.

Causes.
.

 Eat
ingdi
sor
der
s

 Dr
ymout
h

 Youngerorol
derage

 Notget
ti
ngenoughf
luor
ide

 I
nadequat
ebr
ushi
ng

 Bedt
imei
nfantf
eedi
ng

 Fr
equentsnaki
ngorsi
ppi
ng

 Cer
tai
nfoodsanddr
inks

 Toot
hlocat
ion-decaymostof
tenoccur
siny
ourbackt
eet
h(mol
arsandpr
emol
ars)
.

 Pl
aquef
orms-dent
alpl
aquei
sacl
earst
ickyf
il
mthatcoat
syourt
eet
h.

Sy
mpt
oms.
..

 Toot
hache,
spont
aneouspai
norpai
nthatoccur
swi
thoutanyappar
entcause

 Toot
hsensi
ti
vi
ty

 Mi
l
dtoshar
ppai
nwheneat
ingordr
inki
ngsomet
hingsweet
,hotorcol
d.

 Vi
sibl
ehol
esorpi
tsi
nyourt
eet
h

 Br
own,
blackorwhi
test
aini
ngonanysur
faceofat
oot
h

 Pai
nwheny
oubi
tedown

Di
agnosi
s..

 Aski
ngaboutt
oot
hpai
nandsensi
ti
vi
ty.

 Exami
ningy
ourmout
handt
eet
h.
  Pr
obi
ngy
ourt
eet
hwi
thdent
ali
nst
rument
stocheckf
orsof
tar
eas.

 Looki
ngatdent
alX-
ray
s,whi
chcanshowt
heext
entofcav
iti
esanddecay
.

Compl
i
cat
ions.
..

Whencav
iti
esanddecaybecomesev
ere,
youmayhav
e:

 Pai
nthati
nter
fer
eswi
thdai
l
yli
vi
ng

 Wei
ghtl
ossornut
ri
ti
onpr
obl
emsf
rom pai
nful
ordi
ff
icul
teat
ingorchewi
ng.

 Toothl
oss,
whi
chmayaf
fecty
ourappear
ance,
aswel
lasy
ourconf
idenceandsel
f
est
eem.

 Inr
arecases,
atoothabscessapocketofpust
hat
'scausedbybact
eri
ali
nfect
ionwhi
ch
canleadt
omor eser
iousorevenl
if
e-threat
eni
ngi
nfecti
ons.

Pr
event
ion.
..

Goodoralanddentalhy
gienecanhelpyouav
oidcavi
ti
esandt
oot
hdecay
.Her
ear
esomet
ipst
o
hel
ppreventcav
iti
es.Askyourdent
istwhi
chti
psarebestf
ory
ou.
.

 Br
ushwi
thf
luor
idet
oot
hpast
eaf
tereat
ingordr
inki
ng.

 Ri
nsey
ourmout
h.

 Vi
sity
ourdent
istr
egul
arl
y.

 Consi
derdent
alseal
ant
s.

 Dr
inksomet
apwat
er.

 Av
oidf
requentsnacki
ngandsi
ppi
ng.

 Eatt
oot
hheal
thyf
oods

 Consi
derf
luor
idet
reat
ment
s.

 Askaboutant
ibact
eri
alt
reat
ment
s.

Tr
eat
ment
s..

Treat
mentofcav
iti
esdependsonnowsev
eret
heyar
eandy
ourpar
ti
cul
arsi
tuat
iont
reat
ment
opti
onsi
ncl
ude.

Flur
idetr
eat
ments.
.Fluor
idet
reat
ment smaybel
iqui
d,gelf
oam orv
arni
sht
hat
'sbr
ushedont
o
yourteet
horpl
acedinasmallt
raythatfi
tsov
ery
ourteet
h.
Fi
l
li
ngs.
.Fi
l
li
ngar
emadeofv
ari
ousmat
eri
alssuchast
oot
hcol
oredcomposi
ter
esi
ns.

Cr
owns.
.Crownmaybemadeofgol
d,hi
ghst
rengt
hpor
cel
ain,
resi
n,por
cel
ainf
usedt
omet
alor
ot
hermat
erial
s.

Rootcanal
s..Medi
cat
ioni
ssomet
imesputi
ntot
her
ootcanal
tocl
earanyi
nfect
ion.

Toothext
racti
ons.
.Ifpossi
ble,
consi
derget
ti
ngabr
ightoradent
ali
mpl
antt
orepl
acet
he
missi
ngtooth.