The most common dental issue among Australians across all ages is cavities. They are primarily attributed to inefficient tooth cleaning, severe gum disease, and insufficient dental fluoridation. These risks weaken your dental enamel and make it prone to cavity formation. While treatments for cavities are among the most common procedures in children, very few adults bother to get cavity treatment.
Most adults opt for toothpaste touted as effective in minimising the sensitivity associated with tooth cavities. Fortunately, you now have an efficient solution for cavity treatment in Townsville dental clinics. Here are the most effective treatment options:
Fluoride Therapy
This is the best choice for the treatment of dental cavities in their initial stages. Fluoride therapy is designed to restore your dental enamel and hence protect your teeth from further damage. It is available as gels, toothpaste, strips, and mouthwash.
Fillings
These are the most common treatment alternative for dental cavities in adults. The affected teeth are first drilled to remove the decayed materials. The cavity is then treated with antibiotics if need be before the application of the dental filling material. There are different dental fillings, such as composite, amalgam, gold, and porcelain. Amalgam fillings are the cheapest choice but not very aesthetically pleasing due to their dark colour. Porcelain fillings resemble your teeth’s natural colour but are not very durable. Gold fillings are usually used for the back teeth since they are durable. Nonetheless, they are costly.
Crowns
The placement of dental crowns is an ideal choice if dental cavities have destroyed a large portion of your teeth. This is because large fillings make your teeth prone to cracks and eventual breaking. Before the placement of your crowns, the dentist will clean out the cavity just like he or she would before installation of a filling. Dental crowns are more expensive compared to fillings. Still, they are more aesthetically pleasing than the latter.
Root Canal
This treatment option aims to alleviate further damage to your dental nerves and free you of the excruciating pain associated with dental caries. A root canal is often used for severe dental caries. After cleaning the infected tooth and removing the damaged surrounding nerves, the tooth is covered using a crown. The root canal is carried out under local anaesthesia and takes approximately one hour.
Tooth Extraction
Sometimes, tooth decay goes beyond your dental enamel and pulp to affect the jawbone. In these cases, tooth extraction is the ideal treatment option. This minimises the risk of spreading the infection to adjacent teeth. After the removal, the space left can be filled with a full or partial implant, bridge or denture.
Left untreated, dental cavities result in the formation of tooth abscesses, which leads to systemic bacterial infections. The cavities also make it difficult to chew food and affect your nutritional status. Getting treatment for dental cavities rather than taking pain medications and other OTC solutions is vital. Thankfully, the above treatments take a short period and are inexpensive. Regular brushing and flossing will help in the prevention of future dental cavities.
