Do occasional toothaches from cavities need treatment?

Written by Li Cui
Dentistry
Updated on April 12, 2025
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When a patient has a cavity, they may only occasionally experience pain. In such cases, it is generally recommended that the patient visits a hospital for consultation. Even a minor cavity has its preventative measures to stop it from worsening and leading to severe consequences; therefore, treatment is still necessary. Many severe cavities develop from minor ones. They can slowly cause defects in the teeth, damage to the tooth root, or stimulate the nerves in the gums, potentially leading to loose or falling teeth. Thus, it is advisable for patients to adopt the correct treatment methods. Additionally, if patients experience pain, they can undergo anti-inflammatory and pain relief treatments to alleviate discomfort and avoid inconvenience in their dietary life.

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What are the harms of dental caries in children?

Due to not forming the habit of brushing daily during childhood, and the frequent consumption of sugary foods during this period, the incidence of dental caries in children is relatively high. The onset of the disease is due to the presence of a large amount of dental plaque on the teeth, where bacteria gradually corrode the teeth, leading to the occurrence of caries. Initially, caries damage the tooth enamel on the surface, further progress destroys the dentin, and finally, it penetrates the dental pulp, forming pulpitis, which presents with obvious swelling and pain. Severe cases can also cause periapical periodontitis, leading to tooth loss, and affecting the normal emergence of permanent teeth. Therefore, it is important to maintain good oral hygiene and seek timely symptomatic treatment when children develop dental caries.

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How to prevent cavities in children

Prevention of tooth decay in children should first encourage them to develop good tooth-brushing habits, reducing bacteria and plaque on the tooth surface, and include brushing in the morning and evening, as well as rinsing after meals. Enamel is the hardest substance in the human body but is susceptible to cracking. Acidic or sugary substances are harmful to teeth, so it's best to avoid sweets and acidic foods in the evening and to brush teeth before going to bed. Brushing teeth before sleeping is crucial and some anti-cavity treatments should be done, such as fluoride application or dental sealants. It's also important to develop a habit of regular dental check-ups to detect and treat cavities early.

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Wisdom tooth has a cavity, should it be pulled or filled?

Whether to extract or fill a decayed wisdom tooth first depends on the condition of the wisdom tooth itself. If the wisdom tooth has erupted properly, is not impacted, and participates in occlusion and chewing food, it can be preserved and continue to function in chewing. If the eruption of the wisdom tooth has caused resorptive damage to the anterior teeth through compression, or if the wisdom tooth is impacted and recurrent pericoronitis occurs, there is no need to forcefully preserve the tooth. It can be extracted after inflammation control, and the extraction will not affect chewing functions.

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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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The causes of dental caries formation

The causes of dental caries include bacterial factors, dietary factors, the tooth's own factors, and time factors, also known as the four-factor theory of dental caries. Dental caries initially result from bacterial infection. Under such infections, the hard tissues of the tooth undergo a chronic destructive deterioration; over time, this results in cavity formation. That is to say, the formation of dental caries primarily occurs under bacterial infection. Additionally, diet is a main cause of dental caries, especially sugary foods. Bacteria use glucose to produce acid, leading to tooth demineralization and cavity formation. Moreover, congenital calcium deficiency in teeth, leading to incomplete enamel development, is also an important cause of dental caries. Furthermore, the formation of dental caries requires a certain time factor.