Learn About Cavities

When you visit our office for an oral hygiene examination, there are a few steps we take to ensure you have optimal oral health. We thoroughly clean your teeth, removing any lingering plaque from the surface and along the gumline. In addition, we look for problems such as gum disease, oral cancer, and decay. If we detect decay, there are a number of treatments we may recommend. Another common name for decay is a cavity. Many people are aware of the term cavity, but do you really understand what it means and how it is caused? Read on to learn more about cavities and what can happen if they are not treated.

What are Cavities?

One of the most common dental treatments that we perform daily is a dental filling to treat a cavity. A cavity is a form of dental decay that is caused when there is a buildup of plaque and bacteria that has turned into acid and begun to eat away at the surface of the tooth. Cavities can affect children as well as adults. In fact, tooth decay is one of the most common chronic illnesses affecting children. This is why we stress the importance of our patients of all ages brushing, flossing, and caring for their teeth between visits to our office.

What Happens if a Cavity Goes Untreated?
There is no such thing as a small cavity. If we detect tooth decay, it is important that it be treated immediately. Dental decay does not heal on its own. It will continue to grow and progress until treatment is received. The larger the decay grows, the greater the chance you have of needing a more involved treatment, such as a dental crown. If the decay makes its way to the tooth root, we will need to perform a root canal.

If you are in need of an oral hygiene examination or we recommended a filling or other treatment that you need to schedule, be sure to contact our office, which is located in Fort Lee, NJ. We want to help you have optimal oral health! See you soon!