Dental cavities

Symptoms Of Dental Cavities 

Dental cavities often develop silently in the early stages but can cause noticeable discomfort as they progress. Common symptoms include:

• Dental pain
• Sensitivity to hot, cold, or sweet foods
• Visible holes or dark spots on teeth
• Pain while chewing or biting
• Tooth surface discoloration (white, brown, or black)
• Bad breath or foul taste in the mouth.

Good oral hygiene is key to preventing cavities and gum disease and maintaining overall health. Explore Tata 1mg’s oral care range for healthy teeth and gums.
Shop Now

Types Of Dental Cavities

Cavities can affect different parts of a tooth and may look or feel different depending on where they develop. Here are the main types:

• Pit and fissure cavities: These form in the grooves on the chewing surfaces of back teeth where food often gets stuck.

• Smooth surface cavities: These are found on the flat sides of teeth, usually between teeth, where plaque can build up if not cleaned well.

• Root cavities: These occur on the tooth roots, which can become exposed due to gum recession (shrinking gums), more common in older adults or those with gum disease.

Causes Of Dental Cavities

• Dental cavities begin when bacteria in your mouth, especially Streptococcus mutans, feed on sugars from food and drinks. 

• When we eat sugary or starchy foods, bacteria in the sticky film (plaque) on our teeth feed on these sugars and release acids, especially lactic acid. 

• These acids lower the pH around the teeth, slowly dissolving the protective outer layer called enamel.

• Over time, repeated acid attacks cause tiny holes or soft spots in the enamel.

• If untreated, the decay can spread deeper into the tooth, reaching the dentin (the softer layer beneath) and eventually the pulp (which contains nerves and blood vessels), leading to pain or infection.

Want to protect your smile? Discover the everyday habits that could harm your teeth and how to fix them.
Read This Now

Risk Factors For Dental Cavities

Several factors can increase your risk of dental cavities. These include:

Diet and oral habits

• Frequent intake of sugary or starchy foods and beverages
• Sticky sugary snacks that cling to teeth
• Poor oral hygiene practices
• Infrequent or improper brushing and flossing.

Saliva and oral environment

• Dry mouth (xerostomia)
• Low saliva pH (saliva cannot neutralize the acid)
• Poor fluoride exposure.

Note: Fluoride is a natural mineral that helps strengthen tooth enamel and protects against cavities.

Biological and developmental factors

• Deep tooth grooves or pits
• Malocclusion (crooked teeth)
• Enamel hypoplasia (underdeveloped enamel)
• Genetic predisposition to weaker enamel or poor saliva flow.

Socioeconomic and behavioral factors

• Limited access to dental care
• Lower educational or income levels
• Poor parental oral hygiene
• Use of bottles or sippy cups, especially at bedtime.

Medications and medical conditions

• Diabetes
• Sjogren’s syndrome
• Gastroesophageal reflux disease (Acid reflux)
• Eating disorders like bulimia
• Radiation therapy to the head/neck
• Medications that cause dry mouth, like antidepressants or antihistamines.

Diagnosis Of Dental Cavities

Early and accurate diagnosis is key to preventing the progression of dental cavities. Diagnosis consists of:

1. Clinical examination

• Dentists use visual inspection to check for white spots, discoloration, pits, or cavities.
  

• Tactile examination, also known as percussion, is done using a dental explorer and may help assess surface texture and identify sticky areas indicating early decay.

2. Radiographic examination

• Bitewing X-rays: These are the most common method to detect cavities in between the teeth. It is used to assess the extent of deeper lesions.

• Periapical x-rays: These may be used for more extensive views in some cases.

• X-ray Orthopantomogram (OPG): This is a panoramic dental X-ray that captures the entire mouth in a single image and helps detect deep or widespread dental cavities.

3. Laser fluorescence devices (e.g.DIAGNOdent)

• These tools use light to spot early tooth damage that isn’t visible yet, helping detect cavities before they get worse.

4. Fiber-optic transillumination (FOTI)

• Light is used to detect changes in tooth density; helpful in detecting caries between teeth or cracks.

5. Quantitative light-induced fluorescence (QLF)

• It helps catch cavities early by tracking how tooth minerals are lost over time.

Get all your health tests with Tata 1mg for reliable results, expert reports, and convenient home sample collection.
Book Now

Specialist To Visit

If you or your child has signs of dental cavities, the right dental expert can make all the difference. A general dentist can treat cavities, offer fillings, cleanings, and guidance on preventing further decay. They can refer you to the following specialist based on your decay:

• Endodontist
• Pedodontist (for kids)
• Prosthodontist
• Periodontist

An endodontist treats deep cavities affecting the tooth pulp or nerve, often through root canal therapy.

A pedodontist (pediatric dentist) specializes in managing dental issues in children.

A prosthodontist helps restore severely damaged teeth with crowns, bridges, or dentures after cavity-related tooth loss.

A periodontist manages gum issues that may accompany advanced dental decay, including gum recession or bone loss.

Need expert help for tooth trouble? Consult a specialist for the right diagnosis and personalized care.
Book Your Appointment

Prevention Of Dental Cavities

Dental caries are preventable with the right approaches and techniques. Here are a few tips that can help:

Watch what you eat

• Your diet plays a big role in cavity prevention
• Avoid sticky sweets, candies, sugary drinks, and frequent snacking
• Reducing sugar intake, especially between meals, lowers acid attacks and helps prevent cavities
• Choose tooth-friendly foods like fresh fruits, crunchy vegetables, cheese, yogurt, and whole grains
• Drink more water to rinse away food particles and neutralize acids.

Prioritize dental checkups 

• Regular dental checkups can spot cavities early, before they worsen
• Professional cleaning removes plaque and tartar buildup that daily brushing can miss, preventing decay and gum issues
• You can get tips tailored to your oral health

How often should you see a dentist?

• Children: Within six months of the eruption of the first tooth, or by the age of one year, whichever comes first.

• Adults: At least once a year, or twice yearly if you're at higher risk, like dry mouth, diabetes, or a history of cavities.

Use fluoride 

• Fluoride helps repair early enamel damage by encouraging enamel formation
• Use a fluoride toothpaste and mouthwash along with flossing for better protection.

Protip: Use mouthwash after brushing and flossing. Swish it for 30–60 seconds without swallowing, and avoid eating or drinking for 30 minutes afterward. Safeguard your smile.
Buy Mouth Washes Here

Be righteous about oral hygiene

• Brush teeth twice daily using the right technique, and don’t forget your back molars
• Clean between your teeth daily with floss or interdental brushes
• Replace your toothbrush every 3–4 months or sooner if the bristles are frayed.

Consider preventive treatments 

• Fluoride treatments like varnishes, gels, or high-fluoride toothpastes can strengthen enamel and even reverse tiny cavities.
• Dental sealants may be applied to chewing surfaces to prevent future decay.
• Silver Diamine Fluoride (SDF) is a special liquid used to stop cavities from growing, especially helpful for kids, older adults, or those who can’t get a filling right away.

Quick tips for parents

• Schedule the first dental visit by your child’s first birthday
• Offer tooth-friendly snacks like cheese, plain yogurt, and fresh vegetables
• Avoid putting your baby to bed with a bottle of milk or juice this causes “bottle caries.”

Protect your smile naturally with our trusted Ayurvedic oral care range. Elevate your daily routine and give your oral health the boost it deserves.
Fill Your Cart Now

Treatment Of Dental Cavities

Dental cavities don’t heal independently, but early-stage decay can be reversed with the right care. Treatment of dental caries consists of:

Minimally invasive treatments

• Fillings: When a cavity forms, the decayed portion of the tooth is removed and replaced with a restorative material (like composite resin or amalgam) to bring back the tooth’s normal shape and function.

• Glass ionomer restorations: These are gentle, tooth-colored fillings that slowly release fluoride, helping protect against further decay. They’re especially useful for children, older adults, or areas where moisture control is difficult.

• Laser therapy: Low-level lasers and light-activated systems have been explored for anti-caries effects and enamel remineralization.

Moderately invasive treatment

• Root canal treatment (RCT): If the decay reaches the tooth’s pulp (nerve), a root canal is done to remove infected tissue, clean the canals, and seal the tooth. A crown is usually required after RCT to strengthen and protect the now brittle tooth structure from breaking.

• Crowns: A crown (or cap) is a tooth-shaped cover placed over a damaged or root canal–treated tooth to restore strength, function, and appearance. It is commonly used when a large part of the tooth is compromised.

Surgical treatment

• Tooth removal (extraction): If a tooth is severely damaged or infected beyond repair, it may need to be surgically extracted. This may be followed by options like bridges, dentures, or implants to replace the missing tooth.

Newer approaches

• Resin infiltration: A minimally invasive method where a special resin fills early enamel cavities without drilling, helping to stop decay in its tracks.

• Chemo-mechanical caries removal: Uses a gel to soften decayed material, allowing dentists to remove cavities gently without drilling.

Note: Dental caries can cause toothaches ranging from mild sensitivity to intense, throbbing pain. Over-the-counter painkillers like paracetamol or ibuprofen can help ease the discomfort temporarily. 

From painkillers to specialty medicines, find all you need with Tata 1mg.
Explore Now

Complications Of Dental Cavities

If left untreated, dental cavities can lead to complications that can affect your overall health. Complications can include:

Local complications

• Dental pain: It is a common complication of dental caries, caused by nerve irritation or infection as decay progresses deeper into the tooth.

• Apical periodontitis: Inflammation around the tip of a tooth root, usually due to pulp infection.

• Periapical abscess: A pus-filled pocket at the root tip caused by bacterial infection.

• Periapical granuloma: A mass of inflamed tissue at the root tip from chronic irritation.

• Periapical cyst: A fluid-filled sac near the root apex, often developing from a granuloma.

• Abscess: A localized collection of pus due to infection.

• Periostitis: Inflammation of the periosteum, the tissue surrounding bone, often causing pain and swelling.

• Osteomyelitis: A serious bone infection that can result from untreated dental infections.

• Malocclusion: Decay can alter bite alignment, leading to crooked teeth, especially in children.

• Tooth fracture: It can occur when decay weakens the tooth structure, making it prone to breaking.

• Tooth loss: Progressive decay can destroy the tooth structure, requiring tooth removal.

Systemic complications

• Difficulty eating or speaking: Pain and tooth damage can impair chewing and speech.

• Facial cellulitis: Untreated infections can spread to facial tissues, causing swelling, redness, and fever.

• Sinusitis: It can develop when advanced dental caries in upper teeth spread to the nearby sinuses, causing inflammation or infection.

• Systemic infections: Bacteria from an infected tooth can enter the bloodstream and affect organs (e.g., endocarditis).

• Reduced quality of life: Ongoing discomfort, bad breath, and cosmetic concerns may affect self-esteem and daily activities.

Alternative Therapies For Dental Cavities

Certain therapies show promise, particularly in prevention or early-stage caries. However, they should only be used as adjuncts to conventional dental treatment, not replacements.

Always consult your dentist before use and continue with standard dental care.

Herbal remedies 

• Neem: It contains antibacterial compounds that can reduce cavity-causing bacteria like Streptococcus mutans.

Want neem supplements that can support not just your oral health, but your overall well-being too?
Browsw Here

• Clove: It is rich in eugenol, which has strong antimicrobial and pain-relieving properties.

• Licorice: It is rich in flavonoids that inhibit oral bacteria and may reduce plaque formation and cavity risk.

• Green tea: It has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effects that can help protect against tooth decay.

Looking for some premium-quality green tea?
Find It Here

• Aloe vera: Aloe vera gel and mouthwash demonstrated antibacterial effects similar to probiotic and fluoride rinses.

Boost your oral and overall wellness with aloe vera formulations. 
Check Out Now

Probiotics

Oral probiotics can help keep your mouth healthy by increasing good bacteria in the mouth. Some studies show they reduce harmful bacteria like S. mutans, but the results vary depending on the type of probiotic used.

Support a healthier mouth from the inside out! 
Explore Trusted Probiotics

Xylitol

This sugar alcohol can help in reducing S. mutans levels and promoting enamel remineralization when used in chewing gum or toothpaste.

Oil pulling

This is an ancient Ayurvedic practice involving swishing oil in the mouth, believed to reduce plaque and bacteria; there's limited clinical evidence, and more research is needed.