Why do teeth rot

Your dentist will remove the decayed pulp and clean inside the tooth and root. The next step is to fill the tooth with a temporary filling.

Then you will need to come back to get a permanent filling or a crown a cover on the tooth. Extraction pulling the tooth. In the most severe cases, when the damage to the pulp cannot be fixed, your dentist may pull the tooth.

Your dentist will suggest that you get a bridge or implant to replace the missing tooth. Otherwise, the teeth next to the gap may move over and change your bite. Can tooth decay be prevented? There are steps that you can take to prevent tooth decay: Make sure that you get enough fluoride by Brushing with a fluoride toothpaste Drinking tap water with fluoride. Most bottled water does not contain fluoride.

Using fluoride mouth rinse Practice good oral health by brushing your teeth twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste and regularly flossing your teeth Make smart food choices by limiting foods and drinks that are high in sugars and starches. Eat nutritious, balanced meals and limit snacking. Do not use tobacco products, including smokeless tobacco. If you currently use tobacco, consider quitting. See a dentist for regular check-ups and professional cleanings Make sure that your children get sealants on their teeth.

Dental sealants are thin plastic coatings that protect the chewing surfaces of the back teeth. Children should get sealants on their back teeth as soon as they come in, before decay can attack the teeth. Start Here. Diagnosis and Tests. Prevention and Risk Factors. Treatments and Therapies. Sugar also feeds bacteria, and the more bacteria in your mouth, the more acid in your mouth. Likewise, consuming too many acidic drinks soda and juices and having acid reflux disease can also cause tooth decay.

The acid in beverages can slowly dissolve tooth enamel. With acid reflux, stomach acid flowing back into the esophagus and mouth can also erode tooth enamel. Tooth decay can also occur if you have deep dental crevices. Applying a dental sealant to healthy teeth may prevent the buildup of plaque. Fluoride is a natural mineral that can strengthen tooth enamel, making it resistant to cavities. In both instances, sugar can collect around the teeth and lead to tooth decay.

The treatment for rotten teeth is generally the same for both children and adults, and saving the tooth is the goal of treatment. In the early stages of tooth rot small cavity , your dentist may perform a fluoride treatment to strengthen or remineralize the tooth, which may reverse a cavity. For a filling, your dentist uses a tooth-colored composite resin or an amalgam filling such as mercury, silver, or another type of metal. With a crown, your dentist places a dental cap over the decayed tooth.

Your dentist removes the infected nerve and pulp, and then fills and seals the space. On one team are dental plaque—sticky, colorless film of bacteria—plus foods and drinks that contain sugar or starch such as milk, bread, cookies, candy, soda, juice, and many others. Whenever we eat or drink something that contains sugar or starch, the bacteria use them to produce acids.

These acids begin to eat away at the tooth's hard outer surface, or enamel. On the other team are the minerals in our saliva such as calcium and phosphate plus fluoride from toothpaste, water, and other sources. This team helps enamel repair itself by replacing minerals lost during an "acid attack.

Our teeth go through this natural process of losing minerals and regaining minerals all day long. When a tooth is exposed to acid frequently -- for example, if you eat or drink often, especially foods or drinks containing sugar and starches -- the repeated cycles of acid attacks cause the enamel to continue to lose minerals. A white spot may appear where minerals have been lost. This is a sign of early decay. Tooth decay can be stopped or reversed at this point.

Enamel can repair itself by using minerals from saliva, and fluoride from toothpaste or other sources. But if the tooth decay process continues, more minerals are lost. When damage to the pulp happens, it may become irritated and start to swell.

This can lead to pain. As tooth decay advances into the pulp, bacteria can invade and cause an infection. Increased inflammation in the tooth can lead to a pocket of pus forming at the bottom of your tooth, called an abscess. Tooth abscesses can cause severe pain that may radiate into the jaw. Other symptoms that may be present include swelling of the gums, face or jaw , fever , and swollen lymph nodes in your neck.

A tooth abscess requires prompt treatment, as the infection can spread into the bones of your jaw as well as other areas of your head and neck.

In some cases, treatment may involve removing the affected tooth. The images below illustrate the different stages of tooth decay. This earliest stage of tooth decay can actually be reversed before more permanent damage occurs. This can be achieved by treating the teeth with fluoride. Fluoride works to strengthen enamel, making it more resistant to the acids produced by plaque bacteria.

Fluoride can also be found in some types of toothpastes and is often present in tap water. About 74 percent of Americans that get their tap water from a community water system receive fluorinated water. When tooth decay enters this stage, cavities are often present. Fillings are used to treat cavities. When giving a filling, your dentist will first use a tool to clear away any areas of decay.

This material is typically the same color as your tooth. Because dentin is softer than the enamel, decay moves at a faster rate when it reaches this stage. If identified early, dentin decay may be treated with a filling. In more advanced cases, placement of a crown may be required. A crown is a covering that covers the top portion of your tooth above the gums also called the crown of the tooth.

The decayed area is removed before the crown is placed.