Tooth cavities are basically holes in your teeth. These are often the results of tooth damage or decay due to poor oral health. Cavities usually form on the surface of the teeth, affecting both enamel and dentin, the outer and inner layers of a tooth. Although they form small openings in the beginning, as time passes, they will get bigger, sometimes resulting in tooth loss.
Cavities are different types based on the part and surface of the teeth on which they form and how severe it is.
- Root decay cavities: Root decay is more often associated with receding gums. The condition exposes the root of the teeth to cavity-causing factors including plaque, tartar, and acid. Damage to the root is almost impossible to reverse, making it the kind of cavity that is hard to treat or prevent.
- Smooth surface cavities: Smooth surface cavity is most commonly found in young adults. As the name suggests, it forms on the outer surface of the teeth, dissolving enamel. Since it doesn’t affect the root in the initial stage, it is reversible, sometimes with better oral hygiene alone.
- Pit & fissure cavities: Pit and fissure cavities can be found in pits and fissures of teeth, on the front side of your back teeth, or on the teeth’s chewing surface. This kind of decay is common among children and teenagers due to poor oral hygiene.
You can get cavities at any age, depending on your oral hygiene, and whether you have teeth. Cavities can be the result of many different reasons including drinking or eating sugary food items, not cleaning your teeth properly, lack of fluoride, and high acidity levels in saliva, all consequently leading to the accumulation of bacteria in the mouth and finally forming cavities. So what are the chances of you getting one?
Can you get a cavity in between your teeth?
As you might have already assumed from the introduction, you totally can get cavities in between your teeth. Cavities are more common than one would imagine. Statistics say that around 90% of adults aged 20 to 65 live with one of the three kinds of decay in their teeth, whether or not it has formed a cavity yet. It’s not uncommon among children and teenagers either, especially since it’s the age where they are not fully aware of the significance of having a good oral hygiene routine.
You can get cavities due to a number of reasons. The causes might vary based on the age group you belong to, among other factors.
- Snacking on sugar: Unlike the ones that get washed away easily, sugary foods cling to teeth. This included soda, milk, bread, juice, cookies, cereal, dry fruits, and such. The bacteria that cause cavities feed on this leftover food and accumulate in the oral cavity, leading to tooth decay.
- Poor oral hygiene: Since sugary foods stick onto your teeth surface, it’s important to get rid of them as soon as possible. This is the reason why dentists ask you to brush twice a day and use a good mouthwash in between. When you don’t follow this or don’t floss your teeth after a meal, the food items stay in the pits and fissures, contributing to the formation of teeth caries.
- Highly acidic saliva: Individuals with acid reflux and those who have an eating disorder like bulimia, can have high acidic content in their saliva. Long-term exposure to the concentrated acid solution formed in the mouth can dissolve the enamel, resulting in root or smooth surface cavities.
- Dry mouth: Plaque and food items in lower amounts will get washed away with saliva. However, if your oral cavity doesn’t produce enough saliva, causing a condition called dry mouth, it could worsen the condition by increased accumulation of these cavity-causing substances.
- Lack of fluoride: Tooth damage in the initial stages can be reversed with toothpaste with high fluoride content. A lack of fluoride in your regular toothpaste or mouthwash doesn’t clean the oral cavity properly or take care of harmful bacteria.
Symptoms of cavities in between teeth
Cavities, before manifesting fully, exhibit certain symptoms that could help you detect them early and get them treated before getting any worse. Also, sometimes, the kind of cavities that form on the teeth’ surface does not usually show any serious signs including pain until and unless they progress. The only way to identify and prevent them is by being on the lookout for symptoms like the ones listed below, that often go unnoticed.
- Metallic taste in the mouth
- Bad breath that persists even after bruising teeth
- Increased sensitivity to extreme temperatures
- Brown or black stains on the back of the teeth
- In extreme cases, facial swelling or bleeding gums
- Visible holes on the teeth’ surface
- Pain while biting or chewing food
How to treat cavities in between teeth?
Tooth cavities can be treated through different methods, depending on the severity of their conditions and the part of the teeth they have affected.
- Dental fillings: Fillings are usually made with composite resin, silver amalgam, gold, or porcelain. The dentist takes out the decayed tissue inside the cavity and fills the gap formed, with a filler made of any of the mentioned compounds.
- Crown: When a decayed tooth cannot be fixed using fillers, the dentist removes the decayed part entirely and puts a crown made of porcelain, silver, or gold over it. This usually happens with smooth surface cavities where the enamel and a part of dentin, sometimes even the pulp are destroyed. The metal will be fused with the rest of the teeth to prevent the bacteria from sticking to the cracks.
- Tooth extraction: Tooth extraction is the final option when the decay goes beyond repair. The dentist pulls out the damaged teeth and replaces them with dental bridges or dental implants.
- Root canal: Compared to fillers, root canal is a more extensive technique. This is usually done when the root or pulp of the tooth is affected. In such cases, the dentist removes the decayed part along with nerves, blood vessels, and tissues and fills it with a sealing material, which then will be covered with a crown to prevent further decay.
Tips to prevent cavities in between teeth
The formation of cavities can easily be prevented if you are willing to put in some effort to maintain your oral health. It cannot be done in a day but improving your routine with a few tips as listed below would bring a significant difference to your teeth and gum health, if consistent.
- Brush your teeth at least twice daily, using a fluoride toothpaste
- Floss after every meal
- Rinse mouth and use mouthwash, especially after a sugary snack
- Drink clean water
- Occasionally get your teeth professionally cleaned
- Regular dentist visits, ideally every six months
Conclusion
Cavity in teeth is a common condition most people of every age go through at least once in their life. Although it is not fatal, at least not usually, it can have serious consequences including tooth loss and bleeding gum.
Dental cavities, also known as dental caries are the result of certain practices and conditions, including dry mouth, increased acidity in the mouth, plaque formation, snacking on clingy food items or drinks, poor oral hygiene, and so on.
The holes on the surface of your teeth, in the root, or the pits and fissures are caused due to any one of these factors or due to a combination of a few of them.
Dental caries often exhibit symptoms including bad breath, bad taste in the mouth, toothache, small holes, increased sensitivity, and facial swelling. If you notice any of these symptoms early, you can either prevent or reverse the decay without treatment.
If progressed, they can be treated with fillings, root canal therapy, crowns, and by extracting tooth as the final resort. Practicing a good oral hygiene route along with eating and drinking clean can prevent the condition to a great extent.
FAQs
If it’s in the initial stages, yes. You can use toothpaste and mouthwash with high fluoride content to treat the condition without any medication.
You can check whether your breath smells or tastes different even after brushing. Do not neglect symptoms like bleeding gum or pain while chewing food, since they are often indicators of a decayed tooth.
Getting it treated in the early stages is the only way to stop it from spreading. Practice a good oral hygiene routine and make regular dentist appointments to improve the condition.
Depends on how severe it is. If there is no visible cavity but only signs of tooth decay, it can be reversed with fluoride toothpaste within weeks. However, if it is in the advanced stages, it might take longer to heal.
Cavities between teeth are harder to detect. They can be identified with bad breath and metallic taste in mouth and can be treated either with crowns or by removing the tooth.
Yes, they can. They will use a magnifying glass to check the state of your teeth even if the cavity is not visible to the naked eye, if they detect any signs of tooth decay.
