If cavities that do not have holes are not filled, how will they develop?

Written by Li Cui
Dentistry
Updated on December 11, 2024
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In such cases, it is recommended that patients seek timely treatment at a dental clinic. Generally, the treatment might involve cleaning the area around the cavity. If the cavity is deep but not painful, a temporary filling with zinc oxide eugenol may be used. If there is no pain after about a week, a permanent filling can be placed, and root canal therapy may not be necessary.

Specifically, it is best to go to the hospital for an X-ray to examine the condition properly. If there is food impaction in the teeth, it might indicate the presence of cavities. It is advisable for the patient to undergo some examinations to fill these cavities. Considering the sensitivity of the teeth, active treatment should be pursued.

Other Voices

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Written by Fang Xiao
Dentistry
1min 17sec home-news-image

If the cavity doesn't hurt, does that mean it hasn't reached the nerve?

It is necessary to make judgments based on the patient's symptoms and examination results. Dental caries refers to the chronic, progressive, destructive disease occurring in the hard tissues of the teeth under the influence of various factors such as plaque bacteria. Whether dental caries is painless or has reached the nerve, the simplest clinical method is to judge based on the patient's symptoms, asking whether the patient experiences pain. In the early stages, there are only changes in the color and texture of the tooth, which do not cause pain. In the later stages of the disease, due to necrosis of the dental pulp, pain may not occur. At this time, diagnosis can be assisted by dental films; an X-ray can show the low-density shadow produced by the caries, and whether this low-density area significantly erodes into the dental pulp, which is also an auxiliary diagnostic method. Therefore, it is important to maintain oral hygiene, brush teeth morning and evening, and rinse mouth after meals.

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Written by Li Bao Hua
Dentistry
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Can a cavity that exposes the dental pulp be filled?

Cavities that expose the dental pulp cannot be directly filled in one session. Treatment of the tooth must be carried out before filling. In the early stages of a cavity, only the hard tissue of the tooth is damaged. If the decayed part is removed promptly and the dental nerve is not exposed, the tooth can be directly filled in one session. However, if the cavity progresses to the point where the dental pulp, or nerve, is exposed, this requires a nerve removal procedure. After the nerve is killed, the root canal is sealed with medication, and following inflammation control, the root canal is filled. Only after root canal treatment can the tooth be filled. Otherwise, the inflammation may further develop into apical inflammation, or even lead to space infections causing facial swelling.

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Written by Li Cui
Dentistry
1min 7sec home-news-image

Can tooth decay pain be relieved with Sichuan pepper?

If a patient has dental caries and is experiencing considerable pain, and there are no medications available nearby, they can temporarily use Sichuan peppercorns for pain relief. This is because certain components within Sichuan peppercorns can alleviate some of the pain, although they do not treat the dental caries directly. Thus, it is recommended that if a patient is suffering from toothache due to dental caries, they should seek timely treatment at a hospital. The specific treatment plan should be based on the extent of damage caused by the dental caries. If the damage is minor, the tooth generally does not require special treatment; however, if the dental caries are severe and have damaged the tooth structure, root, or even the dental nerves or gum tissue, it is advisable for the patient to consider tooth extraction followed by a dental restoration. The specific recommendations should still be based on a doctor’s diagnosis and a tailored treatment plan should be established.

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Written by Li Cui
Dentistry
1min 1sec home-news-image

Does removing a cavity-affected tooth have any impact?

Cavities, also commonly referred to as tooth decay, can impact daily life depending on the situation. Generally, if the cavity is not severe, extraction is not necessary, and treatment should be attempted if possible. However, extraction can be harmful, as it creates a gap. The teeth adjacent to this gap can be affected, leading to tilting towards the gap or becoming loose, which may impact how the teeth come together when biting. The body has a protective mechanism that can automatically close this space, but although this closes the gap, it may destabilize the overall bite alignment and function, potentially affecting the temporomandibular joint function. Therefore, if tooth decay occurs, it is advised to seek prompt treatment at a formal dental hospital or a major hospital’s dental pulp department, where the decayed and necrotic tissue can be removed and the cavity filled to restore the shape of the tooth crown and some of the biting function.

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Written by Fang Xiao
Dentistry
1min 10sec home-news-image

Will cavities improve after changing teeth?

Cavities in baby teeth can heal when they are replaced by permanent teeth, but cavities in baby teeth still need to be treated. Because the decay can deepen, leading to premature loss of the tooth, which can affect the development of the permanent teeth. Severe cavities can lead to abnormal development of the permanent teeth, and even after the child's teeth are replaced, the new teeth may not be in good condition. For example, if the root of a baby tooth becomes inflamed and the inflammation is not treated and cleared, the alveolar bone around the tooth root can also become inflamed. Below the alveolar bone is the germ of the new tooth, and prolonged inflammatory stimulation can affect the germ of the permanent tooth. Additionally, premature loss of baby teeth can lead to the loss of adjacency between teeth, which can affect the growth and development of permanent teeth. Therefore, it is important to detect and treat cavities in baby teeth early, and ideally perform pit and fissure sealants before cavities form.