Do early-stage cavities need to be treated?

Written by Fang Xiao
Dentistry
Updated on January 02, 2025
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Cavities refer to the chronic, progressive destructive disease of the hard tissues of the teeth under the influence of plaque bacteria. For early-stage carious white spots, fluorides, fluoride toothpaste, or topical fluoride application can be used to halt the progression of cavities at that stage and prevent further development. Inactive caries can be effectively prevented and treated by brushing and rinsing. If not taken seriously, the cavity will continue to develop deeper, which can be classified into superficial, moderate, and deep caries. After the occurrence of cavities, patients may experience pain from thermal stimuli and pain from food impaction. When the stimuli are removed, the pain disappears. Cavities need treatment. If left untreated, they can lead to pulpitis, periapical periodontitis, and even result in tooth loss. Thus, early-stage caries should be adequately attended to, with an emphasis on early detection and treatment of cavities.

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Should a baby's decayed front teeth be filled?

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Tooth decay lacks what element

Cavities are a type of dental hard tissue defect caused by bacterial infections. The factors leading to cavities primarily include bacteria, food, host, and time, mainly due to bacteria using food residues to produce acid demineralization in teeth, resulting in cavities. Cavities may also be due to incomplete enamel development during the prenatal calcification of teeth, which can occur if there is a calcium deficiency in the mother during pregnancy. Therefore, teeth are more susceptible to decay after they emerge, so cavities might be caused by a calcium deficiency during prenatal development. In addition, cavities are also related to postnatal factors, such as not brushing or rinsing promptly which allows food residues to remain, or due to the consumption of sweet foods, especially sugars, which bacteria break down to produce acids that cause tooth decay.