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Tooth Decay
While getting your teeth cleaned every six months, make sure that the dentist checks for signs of tooth decay. Early detection means that you can correct the problem with a minimum of cost, inconvenience, and discomfort.
During examinations, your dentist uses a small mirror to check the surfaces of each tooth for decay. The dentist may also x-ray your mouth. Any treatment you have will depend on the extent of damage caused by decay. If the decay has spread beyond the outer surface of enamel but not into the dentin layer, the dentist will most likely clean the tooth and fill it with material such as amalgam, porcelain, composite resins, or gold.
Regarding filling materials, there are pros and cons to each type. If you are not allergic to gold, many dental experts recommend it as the best filling material, though it's also the most expensive. Gold inlays are cemented into place and are generally well-accepted by gum tissues; they may last as long as 25 years.
Made of plastic resin and glass-like granules, composite resins are the same color as teeth. Lasting from three to ten years, they may chip or become discolored from coffee, tea, or tobacco. They also often "leak" at the edges and pull away from teeth, enabling new cavities to grow.
Porcelain fillings or inlays are actually made of ceramic material and can be matched to the tooth exactly. Made in a laboratory and then bonded to the tooth, two dental visits are needed to obtain a porcelain inlay. Since they are custom made, they are also expensive. Downside: the ceramic material is vulnerable to fractures.
More durable than a composite or porcelain filling, amalgam fillings are dark metal fillings consisting of a blend of silver, nickel, copper, and mercury. Over time, amalgam spreads into the surrounding enamel, coloring it gray. Since the potential health risks associated with amalgam fillings are highly controversial, you may want to discuss the pros and cons of amalgam with your doctor.
If decay has reached the dentin, special procedures are needed to prevent it from penetrating to the pulp. If decay has destroyed a large portion of your tooth, an artificial crown may be the right decision for you. If decay has reached the nerve, your dentist has two alternatives. The first involves root canal therapy if the nerve seems damaged beyond repair. The second involves keeping the dental nerve alive with a procedure called pulp-capping.
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