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Tooth decay: how to treat
“Toothache” is a phrase that frightens children and adults, men and women. One of the main causes of severe pain in the teeth is caries. This disease can be dangerous to varying degrees, but it needs to be treated anyway. In the article we will talk about the most effective methods of caries treatment, as well as tell you about the prevention of the disease.
Caries and its varieties
Caries is one of the most common oral diseases. When it occurs, tooth enamel is damaged first, and then, if treatment is not started, and dentin (hard tooth tissue). The first sign of caries is a dark spot on the enamel. If you ignore its appearance, the stain may increase in diameter, and then the pathology spreads deeper into the tooth tissue, resulting in a “hole”. When caries destroys enamel and affects dentin, it gets to the pulp (soft tissue of the tooth), which can lead to very serious consequences.
According to the degree of tooth damage, the disease is divided into caries in the staining stage (discoloration of enamel), superficial caries (damage to enamel), medium caries (destruction of the upper dentin layer) and deep caries (when the dentin is destroyed almost to the pulp). Also distinguish caries enamel, dentin and cement root - in this case, the disease occurs under the gum.
Depending on the location of the lesion, fissure caries are classified (occurring in the deepening of the tooth), approximal (at the junction of the teeth) and cervical caries (near or under the gumline). There is also caries of the front teeth, which is especially hard on the aesthetics of a smile. Usually, in the latter case, even those who are in panic afraid of doctors are not pulling back to the dentist.
To avoid a visit to a specialist, you should regularly inspect the oral cavity yourself. If you notice caries at the earliest stage, you can get rid of it without the help of a dentist.
Signs of dental caries
To understand that you have caries is very simple. A change in the color of the enamel (the stain can be both dark and light) or its structure, such as the appearance of roughness, are clear signs of the onset of the disease. A painful reaction of the teeth to food, especially to sweet, cold and hot, or pain arising without cause, also accompanied by caries. Bad breath can also be a symptom of the disease.
If the disease has already moved to the middle stage, a recess can be seen in the tooth - usually it is easily felt by the tongue. However, it should be remembered that the “hole” can occur not only because of caries: the doctor will make an exact diagnosis.
Causes of caries
The main cause of caries is bacteria that produce acids that flush out fluoride and calcium from the tooth tissue. Microorganisms begin to multiply and destroy the tooth within 1–2 hours after cleaning the oral cavity, leading to the formation of plaque.
Insufficient salivation can also contribute to the development of caries. The fact is that saliva minerals are able to partially neutralize the acids produced by bacteria - when little saliva forms, acids destroy teeth more quickly. Also, saliva partially washes away bloom. Dry mouth (dry mouth) can be caused by diabetes, hypertension, nasal breathing disorders in various diseases.
In addition, the cause of decay can be the frequent use of sweet, and the impact is not the amount of glucose eaten, and the time it comes into contact with the teeth. Improper diet generally affects the health of the oral cavity.
By the way
Caries, among other things, can be caused by a malfunction of the immune system. The cause of failure can be stress. The latter, by the way, is also able to slow down the processes of mineralization in the oral cavity.
If you find signs of caries, you need to adjust the food, pay special attention to oral hygiene, give preference to toothpastes with a high content of calcium or fluorine. It is imperative to contact your dentist. Only timely treatment of caries will help save the tooth.
Treatment of dental caries
If the caries is at the stage of stains, it is enough to fill the teeth with fluorine and calcium. If the disease is at the superficial, medium or deep stage, then most likely it is impossible to do without a drill. To cure tooth decay, you need to remove the affected part of the tooth and restore its natural form by sealing. Deep caries is treated, as a rule, for two visits - first they put a temporary filling, then a permanent one. If caries has arisen under the filling, X-rays are used for the diagnosis.
There are two main ways to treat caries - non-invasive (without “drilling”) and invasive (with the removal of affected tissue). The choice of method depends on the stage of the disease.
Conservative therapy without preparation
This treatment of caries without "drilling". This method is used if the disease is at the initial stage, that is, the enamel color has changed or the patient due to the nature of the organism (for example, an allergic reaction) cannot undergo anesthesia, and treatment is not possible without it.
The essence of the non-invasive method is to remove the soft deposit and enamel mineralization. The treatment is carried out in several stages: examination, isolation of the gums and application of the necessary materials. The procedure takes about an hour, depending on the equipment and the qualifications of the doctor. The cost of an average of Moscow - from 1500 rubles. If the treatment was carried out qualitatively, then the disease will recede and additional manipulations will not be required.
Treatment with preparation of hard tooth tissues
It is a hardware treatment of the affected parts of the tooth with anesthesia. The stages of treatment depend on the stage of the disease. The average caries is treated as follows:
anesthesia;
mechanical and drug treatment;
installation of a protective lining;
tooth restoration by filling;
adjusting the shape of the filling;
grinding and polishing.
Treatment of deep caries before installing the lining requires checking the level of treatment, that is, finding out how close the sensitive pulp is. This is done in order to exclude the possibility of pain after treatment.
The duration of treatment of medium and deep caries - over an hour, sometimes up to two hours. The average caries, as we have said, is usually treated for one visit, deep carving requires two visits, in especially difficult cases three or more. The effectiveness of treatment depends on the quality of the drugs used, the qualifications of the specialist and the individual characteristics of the organism. With improper diet and poor hygiene, as well as low immunity, the disease can return after some time. The cost of invasive treatment in Moscow is from 2500 rubles. Invasive treatment of caries with a drill is not the only way to solve the problem. There are many more modern treatments that are not inferior in effectiveness.
Modern approaches in the treatment of caries
One of the newest methods is chemical-mechanical. It consists in applying special preparations to the affected part, then removing the diseased part of the tooth and sealing it. The advantages of the method are painlessness and the formation of a smaller cavity (in comparison with invasive intervention), which requires a filling.
The affected tissue can also be removed with a powerful stream of air, water and special powder, which eliminates damage to the healthy part of the tooth. But this method is effective only in the initial stages of caries.
Sick areas can be removed with a laser. It recognizes affected tissues and vaporizes them.
All these methods are good because they are less painful than the treatment with a drill, and sometimes do not cause unpleasant sensations at all. But such procedures will cost the patient several thousand more than the classical treatment, and not every clinic will have the appropriate equipment for advanced therapy.
Prevention of caries
To protect teeth from caries, it is necessary to clean them with sweeping movements. Spending on this procedure should take at least three to five minutes in the morning and evening. We should not forget about cleaning the tongue. After eating, it is recommended to rinse your mouth.
Nutrition also affects the possibility of caries. After eating sweet or very sour (green apples, lemon), drink water or rinse your mouth. Eat more vegetables and fruits containing vitamins C and D, as well as foods rich in calcium and fluoride. Especially beneficial effects on the health of teeth raw carrots.
Visiting the dentist should be every six months to detect caries at an early stage and prevent its development.
Often, caries can cause more serious dental diseases, so you need to be attentive to the health of the oral cavity, apply preventive measures and not neglect visits to the dentist. Only healthy teeth can be beautiful, so it is important to monitor their condition and, if necessary, choose a good clinic with advanced technologies and qualified specialists.
How to choose a reliable dentistry?
According to RBC, there are over 2,000 private and public dentists in Moscow. In such a variety it is easy to get confused, especially in the many discount offers, promotions and other lures that are offered to consumers. But still you can choose a good clinic, if you pay attention to some points.
First, the level of workload of dentistry. If you are offered to enroll to a specialist in advance, since the dentist has a large workload, this is a good sign, because the doctor who treats high-quality is popular. Secondly, you should pay attention to the list of services offered. If the clinic is engaged in dental treatment, and prosthetics, and orthopedics, and aesthetics - this is an indicator of the stability of its position in the market. Third, look at the equipment. Modern technology is easy to distinguish from the old even to an inexperienced person.
If you do not have time to go to clinics, find out prices and other parameters, you can use the website of the Dentistry Hotline with the support of the Dental Association (www.dentisthelp.ru). There you can find comprehensive information about dental treatment. This information portal allows customers to consider a variety of offers and compare prices without visiting or calling dozens of organizations. In addition, the portal contains news about promotions and discounts in various clinics, which is very important in the case of choosing such expensive services as dental.
The main plus of the portal: free consultation of a specialist not only on the website, but also in any clinic that is part of the organization. In addition, prices for services are quite low due to the combination of a large number of clinics and large purchases of materials. You can also count on special prices for comprehensive treatment. Using the services of the portal, you can get high-quality and effective treatment and save money.
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