As we know, dental caries now is a common issue faced by a large population. Dentists will suggest to have it fixed in a timely manner. Some people, however, think that dentists exaggerate the seriousness of the issue only with a view to making money from them. So they deliberately do the opposite by leaving the cavities untreated. What will happen if a cavity isn’t filled in time? 

    Let’s take a look at the potential risks of leaving a tooth cavity alone.

    First of all, it’s impossible that a cavity will heal by itself since enamel can by no means regenerate. Without proper intervention, the cavity will always remain there and worse still, progress into a deeper and larger one.

    There are three important parts of a tooth — the outer enamel, the middle dentin and the inner pulp. Caries usually starts from the enamel and then gradually spread to dentin and pulp chamber. Actually the progressive process can be quite fast. A simple procedure of filling, which is fairly affordable, will be enough to fix the problem if it hasn’t reached the dental nerves. When it has gone deeper to dental nerves and even pulp, then it’s a root canal therapy (RCT) that will be required. RCT will be harder to operate and cost more. And there will also be pain at this stage.

    Pain comes along the deterioration of dental caries. At first you may only feel mild or moderate pain when there is irritation from hot or cold drinks. Slowly but surely, it will evolve into fits of excruciating pain which may be worse in the evenings. No doubt the pain will lead to difficult eating and sleeping, laying an impact on both your life and work.

    Some may think it’s unnecessary to filled a decayed deciduous tooth because it is set to shed off by itself. Well, that’s a wrong perception. Without appropriate filling for an eroded baby tooth, the caries-causing bacteria will make their way to tooth roots and even go deeper along the roots. Eventually it may do harm to the permanent tooth germ underneath and affect the normal eruption and development of permanent teeth. Turner’s tooth can be an example. Relevant article: Decayed central incisors

    To conclude, you will end up regretting yourself if you seek no treatment for a tooth cavity. Physically, it will trigger severer dental issues and make you suffer more. Financially, you will need more complicated procedures because of treatment delay, which will cost you more. In some very severe cases, chances are that you will probably need an extraction and dental prosthesis.

    It would be advisable to consult with a dental professional and seek proper treatment whenever there are any dental issues. Please feel free to contact me if there’s any dental problem. (WeChat ID: aiyuan325180)