Everyone knows that a cavity is obviously something you don’t want in your teeth. They hurt, they hurt worse to get filled, and afterward, the appearance and integrity of your tooth is often compromised, although you can choose to get tooth-colored fillings these days.
What most people aren’t aware of, though, are the potentially devastating effects cavities can have on your teeth. Let’s examine what those are.
Tooth decay
If you let a cavity go for too long, it’ll expand quickly and the tooth in which it originated will begin to decay rapidly. A decaying tooth will likely need a root canal if you want to save it. Otherwise, Dr. Scott Ferguson may only be forced to extract it.
Tooth death
What gets really concerning about cavities – and is the real reason our team here at Scott J. Ferguson, DDS in Kimball, Michigan, strongly recommends you get cavities filled as quickly as possible – is that if they’re left untreated, they can completely kill your teeth.
If the cavity gets so big that it breaches your enamel and dentin, the infection can get into the dental pulp (the living bundle of nerves and blood vessels inside your teeth) and if that happens, you’ll likely need an extraction and tooth replacement.
If you have any tooth pain you think might signal a cavity, or need a dental checkup, call us today at 810-985-3301 to schedule an appointment.