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Dental cavities: Stages of tooth decay

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Dent al c av i t i es : St agesoft oot hdec ay Toot hdec ayi sadent al i nf ec t i ont hatoc c ur swhenac i der odest he enamel ( t heout erpar toft het oot h) . I tc anr es ul ti nc avi t i esand s ev er ec as esmayl eadt oani nf ec t i onc al l eddent al abs c es s esor t ot al ex t r ac t i onoft het oot h. Toot hdec ayus ual l yoc c ur si ns t ages . Aper s onc anl i vewi t ht oot h dec ayf oratl eas tt hr eeyear sbef or ei tdevel opsi nt oc av i t i es . I ti s adv i s abl et ot r eatt oot hdec ayi nt i mebec aus ei ti seas i erand c heapert ot r eat . Wewoul dbel ooki ngatt hev ar i ouss t agesoft oot h dec ay, howt oi dent i f yt hem, andef f ec t i vet r eat ment sf oreac h s t age.

St agesoft oot hdec ay Whent hebac t er i ai nourmout hbr eakdownt hel ef t overf ood par t i c l es( s pec i f i c al l yc ar bohydr at es , ors t ar c hyf oodl i k er i c e, br ead, c er eal , et corc andi es , dr i nks , c ooki es , et c )t oac i d, i tr es ul t si nt he f or mat i onofpl aque( as t i c k yf i l m)ont hes ur f ac eofourt eet h. Pl aquedi s s ol vest heenamel c aus i ngt oot hdec ayandgr adual l yi t wi l l devel opi nt oc av i t i es . Bel owar et hes t agesofadec ay i ngt oot h


St age1: Demi ner al i z at i on Att hef i r s ts t ageoft oot hdec ay , t heenamel ( t heout erpar tof t het oot h)bec omesweakduet ot heac i di nt hepl aque Theenamel i st hes t r onges ts ubs t anc ei nt hebody . I ti sus ual l y har dert hanourbones , butt hebui l dupofpl aquec an demi ner al i z eandweak ent heenamel . As i gnof demi ner al i z at i oni swhi t es pot st hatwi l l appearont het oot h.  St age2: Enamel dec ay Af t erdemi ner al i z at i onoft heenamel , t heenamel begi nst o dec ay. Att hi ss t aget hewhi t es potwi l l t ur nt obr ownand


hol es ( c avi t i es )ar egr adual l yf or med  St age3: Dent i ndec ay I fenamel dec ayi snott r eat ed, t hedec aypr ogr es s est ot he dent i n, t hel ayeraf t ert heenamel . Thedent i ni smuc hs of t er ands us c ept i bl et oac i ddamage. Henc et her at eoft oot hdec ay i nc r eas es . Att hi ss t aget hev i c t i mwi l l ex per i enc et oot h s ens i t i vi t y ;as har ppai nwhi l eeat i ngordr i nk i ngs omet hi nghot orc ol d.  St age4: pul pdamage Thepul pi st hei nner mos tpar toft het oot h. I ti sf oundbel ow t hedent i n. Thepul pc ont ai nst hebl oodv es s el sandner v es t hatgi v et het oot hs ens at i ons . Whent oot hdec ayr eac hest he pul p, i tbegi nst os wel l andpr es s ur ei spl ac edar oundt he s ur r oundi ngner v eswhi c hwi l l l eadt opai nFi nal l y , t hepul p di es . Thi si sk nownaspul pnec r os i s .Si gnsofadeadpul p i nc l udesbadbr eat h, s wel l i ng, unpl eas antt as t ei nt hemout h.  St age5: Abs c es sf or mat i on Dent al abs c es si sat oot hi nf ec t i ont hatc ans pr eadt hr oughout t hebodyvi at hebl oodv es s el . Bac t er i ai nadec ayi ngpul pc an l eadt oabs c es s es . Thev i c t i mus ual l yex per i enc espai nal l ov er


t hemout h, gum, f ac e, andj aw. Att hi ss t age, t het oot hhast o ber emov edt oavoi dt hes pr eadoft hi si nf ec t i ont ot hebones .

Tr eat ment Eac hs t ageoft oot hdec ayr equi r esvar i edt r eat ment . Her e' sal ook att het oot hdec ayt r eat mentopt i onsateac hs t age 1.Demi ner al i z at i on: Theaf f ec t edt oot hus ual l ys uf f er st he weak eni ngoft heenamel . Thi sc anber ever s edbyf l uor i de t r eat menti ndent i s t r y . Fl uor i dehel pst oc ons ol i dat et he


enamel andmakesi tr es i s t antt ot heac t i onofpl aque. Demi ner al i z at i onc anal s ober ev er s edbyus i ngf l uor i de t oot hpas t et obr us ht wi c edai l y , i nt hemor ni ngandbef or e goi ngt obed. Al s o, dr i nkwat ert hatc ont ai nsf l uor i de. Tap wat eri sagoods our c eoff l uor i de 2.Enamel dec ay: Toot hf i l l i ngsar eus edt ot r eatc avi t i est hatar e f or medwhent heenamel dec ay s . Thedent i s twi l l c l eart he dec ay i ngpar tandf i l l t hehol ewi t hmat er i al sl i k er es i n, c er ami c ordent al amal gam. Theyar eus ual l yt hes amec ol ourasyour t oot h 3.Dent i ndec ay: Dent i ndec aymayr equi r ec r ownpl ac ement . Thec r owni st hepor t i onoft het oot habovet hegum, i ti st he v i s i bl epar toft het oot h. Thedec ay edpor t i onsar er emov ed andac r owni spl ac edov ert her emai ni ngs t r uc t ur e. I fi dent i f i edear l y, dent i ndec ayc anbef i x edwi t hf i l l i ngs , j us t l i keenamel dec ay. 4.Pul pdamage: Ar ootc anal i sr equi r edt ot r eatadamagedpul p. I ti nv ol v esr emov i ngt hedamagedpul p, c l ear i ngandf i l l i ngt he t oot hc av i t yt hen, pl ac ementofac r ownont heaf f ec t edt oot h. 5.Abs c es s esf or mat i on: Ar ootc anal i sal s or equi r edt or emov e


abs c es si nf ec t i onands eal t het oot h. Sever ec as esmayr equi r e t oot hex t r ac t i on. Ant i bi ot i c sar eal s opr es c r i bedt oki l l t he bac t er i aandhi ndert hes pr eadofbac t er i a.

Ov er v i ew Toot hdec ayoc c ur sgr adual l yi nvar i ouss t agesandt hes es t ages r equi r edi f f er entt r eat mentmet hods . I ti sv i t al t oi dent i f yt hes t age oft oot hdec ayandt r eati tear l yandappr opr i at el y . Thi si swhy vi s i t i ngadent i s tr egul ar l yi ses s ent i al . Wes houl dpr ac t i c eagoodor al hygi ener out i neandl i mi touri nt ak e ofs ubs t anc esc ont ai ni ngs ugar . Sev er ec as esofc avi t i esmayr equi r et oot hex t r ac t i on. I tal s oc aus es i nf ec t i on. Toot hdec ayi sc heaperandeas i ert ot r eatwheni ti s i dent i f i edear l y.

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