The Tooth Decay Process: How to Reverse It and Avoid a Cavity (2024)

FAQs

The Tooth Decay Process: How to Reverse It and Avoid a Cavity? ›

If your cavity just started, a fluoride treatment may help restore your tooth's enamel and can sometimes reverse a cavity in the very early stages. Professional fluoride treatments contain more fluoride than the amount found in tap water, toothpaste and mouth rinses.

Use fluoride

Fluoride is a mineral that can prevent tooth decay from progressing. It can even reverse, or stop, early tooth decay.

Can tooth decay be reversed? Yes, if it is caught early. Tooth decay is only reversible in the beginning stages when it has only affected the enamel or the hard outer protective coating of the tooth. Once tooth decay has progressed through the enamel into the softer, inner part of the tooth, it is irreversible.

Fortunately, the beginning stages of a cavity can be reversed by taking steps toward good oral hygiene. During early demineralization, exposure to fluoride, daily brushing and flossing, and regular cleanings can all help prevent — or even reverse — tooth decay.

By reducing the number of bacteria in your mouth, oil pulling can prevent cavities. Once damage from tooth decay has already happened, the oil cannot reverse this damage. A tooth with a hole can only be repaired with a dental filling.

Fillings, also called restorations, are the main treatment option when decay has progressed beyond the earliest stage. Fillings are made of various materials, such as tooth-colored composite resins, porcelain or dental amalgam that is a combination of several materials.

Studies in the British Medical Journal suggest that a change in diet can actually reverse tooth decay. Easy adjustments can be made to your diet immediately like: Consuming more calcium rich foods (i.e. kale, collards, broccoli rabe and dairy) which can help strengthen your bones and teeth.

Decay can deteriorate our teeth and over time if not treated, the teeth can become loose and even fall out. Decay damages teeth and can cause dental abscesses that can become serious if not treated. When you have plaque build up the plaque uses the sugars in the food you eat to create acids.

It's true. In a 2-year study among children in Montreal, the kids who used xylitol chewing gum were found to have a significantly higher number of reversals of cavities than the kids who did not use it.

Can baking soda get rid of cavities? ›

How does baking soda get rid of cavities? Baking soda does help to some extent in treating cavities in the primary stage. Baking soda is alkaline, and it will neutralize mouth acids, thereby preventing further erosion. Baking soda will also help to remineralize the enamel layer and close micro gaps.

Fortunately, oil pulling may be an effective remedy to improve gum health and reduce inflammation. It works primarily by decreasing the harmful bacteria and plaque in the mouth that contribute to gum disease, such as Streptococcus mutans.

Try non-acidic foods: Certain foods are good for your enamel. Many types of fruits and vegetables, dairy products such as milk, and foods or drinks containing fluoride – notably spinach, grapes and black tea – will be useful to naturally restore enamel.

Oral health professionals often recommend patients use saltwater when a wound or infection is present in the mouth. Saltwater can even destroy bacteria that leads to the formation of cavities. Swish with salt water as soon as you find out you have a cavity and it just might slow its expansion.

Clove oil has been used often before the modern advances of dental methods to treat both the pain of a cavity and to restore enamel. The oil produces a numbing effect to combat pain and can help your tooth retain minerals.

In most cases, by the time you notice the symptoms of tooth decay, it will be too late to reverse the damage with natural methods. You will need to consult your dentist to prevent the damage from spreading to other areas of the tooth.

Hydrogen sulfide is a gas that smells like rotten eggs and is produced by the bacteria in decaying teeth.

Is it OK to leave tooth decay? ›

Cavities don't go away on their own, and if you don't treat them in time, they can spread to the entire surface of the tooth, and then to other teeth. Cavities tend to widen and deepen, making your teeth brittle and more prone to cracking or breaking.

Can a decayed tooth be saved? With the right dental professionals by your side, even severely decayed teeth can be restored. Whether you require dental crowns, fillings, or a combination of treatments, No Gaps Dental can help restore your smile and confidence.

Parents are often surprised to learn that tooth decay can begin as soon as a baby's teeth come in, usually by age six months. Decay in baby teeth can cause pain, and the infection can spread. If decay is not treated, it can destroy the baby teeth.

Fluoride mouth rinse or mouthwash contains fluoride, a mineral known to strengthen enamel and reduce tooth decay and cavities. Fluoride, besides protecting tooth enamel against acid attacks, also repairs the early stages of tooth decay.

Xylitol Gum helps Fight Cavities

Most chewing gum can't claim to help clean your teeth, but gum sweetened with xylitol can.

The best toothpaste for cavity repair is a product that contains fluoride. Fluoride is a mineral that can help strengthen tooth enamel and prevent cavities. In fact, fluoride may even help reverse cavities that are in their very early stages.

For some people this may seem a little odd, but washing your mouth out with a food-grade hydrogen peroxide is an excellent way to prevent cavities. Doing so will kill harmful bacteria that accumulates in your mouth much in the same way applying the anti-septic to a cut does.

Mix two parts water with one part hydrogen peroxide. Gargle, swishing the solution all around the mouth. Tilt the head back and continue gargling for 30 seconds. Spit the solution out.

Coconut oil may help to attack harmful bacteria in the mouth that can cause bad breath, tooth decay, and gum disease ( 4 , 6 ). It's particularly effective at killing an oral bacteria called Streptococcus mutans (S. mutans), which is a leading cause of tooth decay.

Periodontal pockets can be treated and reversed with good oral hygiene or with dental treatment. But when left untreated, periodontal pockets can lead to tooth loss.

How long does it take for coconut oil pulling to work? ›

Also, a recent study found that coconut oil may help prevent tooth decay. Start with just 5 minutes a day. Twenty minutes of swishing is a long time, and while the longer you pull, the more bacteria you'll remove, 5 or 10 minutes will still offer some benefit.

Oil pulling can reduce plaque and gingivitis

Coconut oil has similar benefits. Another 1-month study in 60 adolescents found that daily coconut oil pulling significantly reduced markers of gingivitis ( 1 ). Oil pulling with coconut oil may help reduce inflammation of the gums, also known as gingivitis.

When you intake fluoride, it replaces the minerals lost from tooth decay and reduces the bacteria's ability to make acid. Fluoride is found in most city water supplies, toothpaste, and mouthwashes. You can increase your fluoride amounts by taking supplements, using mouth rinses, or applying a fluoride gel to the teeth.

This process is something that takes place very quickly. In fact, even brushing too soon after eating something acidic can damage the demineralized surface of a tooth. Waiting at least 20 to 30 minutes to brush gives our bodies a chance to restore the enamel surface in a process called remineralization.

As the enamel continues to erode, your teeth might turn a gray or yellowish color. If your teeth change shape, it's a good indicator that you have enamel damage. Your teeth may begin to appear rounded, develop ridges, and often the gaps between teeth will become more substantial.

This is because teeth can become translucent due to the effects of enamel erosion, which is a slow, gradual process. As the enamel wears down and becomes thinner, it begins to lose its natural color. This allows the underlying dentin layer to show through.

Acids from foods and bacteria eat away at enamel causing erosion, the shrinking of tooth size, and cavities. This is the same for drinks like sodas, sweet teas, and wine. 2. Dentin, the hard, dense, bony tissue forming the bulk of a tooth beneath the enamel, is what makes enamel seem white.

The remineralization process usually takes about three to four months to take effect. However, once you begin to better fortify your enamel, you may start to see stronger teeth, experience less sensitivity, and even reveal a whiter smile.

One of the main causes of enamel erosion are acids found in the foods and liquids you consume. Saliva constantly neutralizes acid in your mouth to protect your teeth. But if you consume too much acidic food and drink, and don't properly brush your teeth, the outer layer of enamel will degrade over time.

How do you fix rotten teeth without going to the dentist? ›

It is usually recommended to increase the intake of mineral-rich meats and vegetables, bone broth and healthy fats. Diet rich in gelatin and magnesium may also help heal rotten teeth. Fish oil, olive oil and seafood are high in fat-soluble vitamins, so it is good to include these in your diet during tooth healing.

If tooth decay has spread to the pulp (in the centre of the tooth, containing blood and nerves) – this may be removed in a process known as root canal treatment. If the tooth is so badly damaged that it can't be restored – it may need to be removed.

The formation of small dental cavities can be reversed by a process called remineralization, when the deposition of minerals is applied to damaged areas of a tooth.

Dental Implants

A dental implant is the cheapest way to fix teeth after an injury, cavities, or rotten teeth. In addition, this method of tooth replacement is long-lasting. This is because your replaced tooth is on a strong foundation.

As a result, there is no natural way to remove them at home. Only a dentist can fix a cavity by filling it in. That said, home care can prevent cavities. Food and bacteria buildup form a sticky film on the teeth's surface and along the gumline.

Teeth have a black/ dark spot

Dark spots on or over your teeth indicate that they are decaying. If you notice any discolouration, you should see a dentist as soon as possible. If left untreated, blackened teeth will cause decay to spread throughout a single tooth and may even spread to other teeth.

Lack of a Nutritional Diet. Feeding the bacteria inside your mouth with their favorite foods will lead to multiplication, wreaking more havoc on your oral health. Bacteria feast off of sticky foods, which can stick to your teeth's surfaces and produce acid. Acidic pH can eventually deteriorate your teeth's enamel.

A tooth is considered to be dead or “non-vital” if there is no longer any blood flow to it. This can happen as the result of tooth decay, or as the result of trauma to the tooth.

It's due to eating a lot of sugars and starches and not cleaning your teeth well. When sugars and starches aren't cleaned off your teeth, bacteria quickly begin feeding on them and form plaque. Plaque that stays on your teeth can harden under or above your gum line into tartar (calculus).

Is it too late to stop tooth decay? ›

If your cavity hurts, it's not too late for a dentist to save your tooth. When cavities are small, they tend not to hurt too much, but they'll start to cause pain as they grow. That's usually when you notice them. With a visit to your dentist in Wilmington, we can often save your tooth!

A dead tooth can stay in your mouth for up to several days or months; however, keeping a dead tooth may lead to problems with your jaw and also result in the spreading of decay and bacteria to other teeth. Most dentists will recommend having the dead tooth extracted and replaced with a denture, bridge, or implant.

Adequate vitamin D and calcium make bones and teeth denser and far stronger, which helps prevent fractures and cracks. You can find vitamin D in eggs, fish and dairy products like cheese and fortified milk.

Phosphorus plays a critical role in dental health because it can naturally help protect and help rebuild tooth enamel. The best sources of phosphorus can be found in protein-rich foods like meat, poultry, fish, and eggs.

Yes, tooth decay can be treated without fillings! Early decay is a reversible process. The key is to detect it in the early stages when this is still possible. It is helpful to think of this strategy as "medical vs surgical" treatment.