Hole in a Tooth

For the most part, cavities are preventable with good daily oral hygiene and regular professional cleanings at Albany County Dental Associates. But when you develop a hole in a tooth, get treatment right away to avoid further complications that could eventually lead to losing your natural teeth. Start your kids early by teaching them home care and bringing them to see their family dentist twice a year.

 

A hole in a tooth is typically your early warning indication of a painful cavity in the making. Cavities can appear even if you have good dental hygiene practices. Sometimes, brushing and flossing just aren’t enough to keep you completely free from plaque and tartar.

That’s why it’s vital that you maintain bi-annual checkups and get professional cleaning at your dentist’s office. Your family dentistry team gets rid of that stubborn tartar and plaque that only a trained dental professional can remove with tools and techniques designed just for that purpose.

A tiny hole in a tooth can be exceptionally hard to notice. And holes that develop between teeth are almost impossible to notice until they cause nerve pain.  When you suspect you have the beginning stage of periodontal disease, there are several ways that your dentist at Albany County Dental Associates  has to treat a gaping or a tiny hole in a tooth.

Why Do You Get Cavities?

A tiny hole in a tooth typically develops as the result of tooth decay.  Your teeth most often begin to decay due to bits of food left on your teeth. Other reasons that can cause a hole in a tooth include:

  • Loss of an older filling
  • A broken  or cracked tooth
  • Grinding your teeth while you sleep
  • An illness like bulimia or anorexia

Plaque build-up is by far the most common cause. A tiny hole in a tooth can quickly become a larger, more painful issue if left untreated. Plaque is what happens when bacteria is allowed to remain on your teeth. The bacteria leave a thin film on your teeth. This film creates an acid that eats through the protective coating or enamel of your teeth. When your enamel is weakened, the bacteria can gain access to the layers of the tooth beneath it.

Many Factors Lead to Decay

As long as you have natural teeth, you’re at risk for developing a cavity. But there are factors that increase the likelihood of having cavity trouble, such as:

  1. The location of the tooth
  2. Inadequate brushing
  3. Foods and drinks with high sugar content, such as soda, candy, cake and cookies
  4. Food that sticks to your teeth like taffy, honey and dried fruit
  5. Heartburn that produces stomach acid, which is harmful to enamel
  6. Eating disorders
  7. Dry mouth
  8. Worn-down fillings
  9. Ill-fitting dental devices
  10. Bottles before bed, which leads to baby-bottle tooth decay

Prevention Helps

Tooth decay can start in young children who don’t yet have their permanent teeth. Since your Albany Dental team practices family dentistry, you can bring your kids to the same practice you enjoy. When you start kids at the dentist when their first teeth appear, they become accustomed to the regular visits and don’t develop fear of the dentist.

Consider sealants for your kids to prevent dental decay. According to the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research,  “Sealants are thin, plastic coatings painted onto the chewing surfaces of the back teeth or molars. The chewing surfaces of back teeth are rough and uneven, with small pits and grooves. Food and bacteria can get stuck in the pits and grooves, and it stays there a long time because toothbrush bristles can’t easily brush them away. Sealants cover these surfaces and form a barrier that protects teeth and prevents food and bacteria from getting trapped there. Since most cavities in children and adolescents develop in the molars, it’s best to get these teeth sealed as soon as they come in.”

Not the End of the World

A hole in a tooth isn’t fun. But your Albany-area dentist fixes cavities with a variety of filling material. Which kind of treatment you need is determined by the severity of your tooth decay and the size or depth of the hole in your tooth.

After removing all of the decay from your affected tooth and assessing the hole in a tooth with x-rays, your dentist decides if you need a filling or if your case has advanced to the point of requiring a root canal  and crown

Save Yourself Pain and Expense

If the hole in a tooth is big enough for you to notice on your own, then you probably already have a cavity and may be experiencing pain.  Working with your one of the leading dentists in Albany County is the most cost-effective and least painful way to stop a cavity, even a tiny hole in a tooth, before it happens.

Popular tooth-colored composite fillings are significantly less expensive than a root canal. Your Albany Dental dentist ensures you get the treatments you and your family need with a host of affordable  options. Contact your dentist  today!