Cavities are holes in teeth caused by decay. They need to be treated or they will continue to grow and cause bigger problems down the road. Sometimes you won’t know that you have a cavity until the decay in the tooth has passed through the tooth enamel and reached the dentin. Since the dentin is made of small nerve endings, you will feel pain or sensitivity. This is why your routine dental checkups are so important, as they can detect cavities before they penetrate the enamel.
Our dentists, Dr. Pantea Nooraee and Dr. Kelara Gandy, check for tooth decay during your dental exam. Treating the cavities when they are still small is less invasive than treating them with bigger fillings, root canal therapy or extraction if the tooth is too damaged.
You may have a cavity in your smile if you have the following:
- A tooth that hurts, whether you feel a sharp pain or throbbing pain.
- It hurts when you bite down or chew your food.
- You experience sensitivity or pain when you suck in cold air or eat or drink hot or cold foods.
- You have tooth sensitivity to sweet, sour, or sticky foods.
- One of your teeth lost a filling.
- You fracture or chip a tooth.
- You can see a dark spot on a tooth.
To treat your cavity, a filling will need to be placed to stop the decay and repair the hole. All cracks or fractures in your tooth will be filled, even small holes.
Don’t let cavities gain traction in your smile. Maintain your six-month dental checkups with our team at Twins Family Dentistry. to stay cavity-free in Frisco, Texas. Please call us at 972-335-3000 today if you have any questions or want to schedule a visit!