During your dental checkup appointment with your dentist in Fayetteville, they inform you that you have a cavity. But you don’t feel any pain. You’re thinking it’s just a small cavity, so is it really important to address right away? Can you put off treating it until later? The choice is ultimately yours, but waiting too long to resolve your cavity can have serious and significant effects down the road. It’s easier and safer to treat tooth decay early on. In this post, learn more about the potential outcomes of postponing this essential treatment.
How is a cavity treated?
When a cavity is found during the early stages of development, treatment is simple. Your dentist administers a local anesthetic, removes the infected structure of the tooth, and fills in the hole with tooth-colored composite resin. In one relatively short appointment, you are fully restored to good oral health.
For more advanced cavities, more intensive, complex treatment may be required. If decay has penetrated to the pulp or center of the tooth, root canal therapy can clean out the portions of the tooth affected by the cavity and harmful bacteria. Then, a filling or dental crown can be placed to restore the lost sections of the tooth.
What could happen if I wait to treat my cavity?
If you postpone addressing your cavity, the best case scenario is that you will likely experience a severe toothache and need a root canal later on. However, in many cases, an untreated cavity allows the decay to consume enough of the tooth that there is not enough healthy tooth left to save. This means that your tooth will need to be extracted. In other cases, an untreated cavity leads to a tooth infection, resulting in soreness, sensitivity, and sharp or throbbing pains in your mouth and jaw. As with many other infections, a tooth infection can cause inflammation and swelling, high fever, and pain.
How can a tooth infection impact my oral and overall health?
At first, you may not think that a tooth infection is a big deal. After all, it’s just a little tooth. But they are, in fact, quite serious. At this point, you’ve reached an emergency situation and should seek immediate medical help because infections have a tendency to not stay in one place. Not only can a tooth infection impact the surrounding teeth, but it can spread to the jawbone, causing permanent damage to this structure. That in turn can weaken the support it gives to your teeth, making them come loose. In some cases, untreated tooth infections have even led to death.
In the end, the risks of waiting to address your cavity far outweigh whatever is holding you back from doing it right away. Tackle the problem early, while it’s pain free and easy to resolve. That way, you can avoid unnecessary suffering and extensive treatment down the road. More importantly, you’ll get to enjoy your healthy, natural smile and a higher quality of life for many years to come.
About the Author
Dr. Marley Rinoldo has over a decade of experience practicing dentistry. At Lyndon Family Dental, although she can perform tooth extractions and other more complex procedures, she and her staff provide comprehensive dental care and strive to preserve their patients’ natural smiles. To schedule an appointment with them, call (315) 449-0711 or click here.