My teeth don’t hurt, do I need to do the cavity?

A lot of cavities don’t hurt. There could be a number of reasons why cavities don’t hurt. This is a deep drive into dental cavities.

Cavities are ‘holes’ made by the acid released by bacteria, think of it like pouring hot water on the ice of a frozen lake. The hot water melts the ice like the bacterial acid melts the tooth.

The enamel of teeth are the strongest part of the body. As a result it takes a lot of time, bacteria, and acid for cavities to form.

When the acid forms microscopic holes in the teeth, bacteria move into the holes and continue to grow. As bacteria go deeper in the holes, it becomes protected from the brushing, flossing, mouthrinsing which allows more time for the bacteria to grow.

As a result bacteria and acid can move closer and closer to the nerve of a tooth. When bacteria reach the nerve, extreme pain starts, and the bacterial infection can begin to spread. We know from dental research that once cavities/bacteria/acid reach the nerve of a tooth, the long-term survival of that tooth is much shorter than a natural cavity-free tooth.

When cavities that are visible on an x-ray and visually during a dental check up exam, it has to pass the “Threshold of Treatment” line before we decide to treat. At Arbo Dental Care Bradford it’s important to us to give the tooth a chance, and not touch it, if the cavity has not progressed. If the cavity progresses past the Threshold of Treatment, then a filling is recommended to surgically remove the cavity by drilling, and restore the tooth back to normal (click here to see what fillings and restorations look like at Arbo Dental Care Bradford)