Have A Deep Cavity? What You Need To Know

Plan on heading to the dentist to deal with a deep cavity in a tooth? If so, you may have fears about what you are going to learn after having the tooth looked at by a dentist. Here are some things to know about treating this deep cavity before your visit so that you are not caught off guard.

A Big Filling May Used To Fill It

If the tooth is not causing you pain, it's possible that you will just need a filling. The dentist will attempt to remove all of the decay to put in a filling, but know that the dentist may discover problems with the tooth. There may be soft portions of the tooth with decay that extend to the pulp. Thankfully, there is no harm in trying to fix the tooth with just a filling. In a worst case scenario, your dentist will tell you that another dental procedure will need to be used, and they can go from there.

A Root Canal May Be Performed

If the decay extends deep into the tooth and has reached the pulp, your dentist will recommend a root canal. This is a process that is designed to save the tooth so that it still remains in your mouth, which helps avoid other complications that come with needing to pull the tooth. The dentist will hollow out the tooth, fill it, and place a crown on top to give it strength and stability.

A root canal will require two separate visits to finish the procedure. The first visit involves performing the procedure itself, taking a mold of your mouth, and using that to create a crown. You'll come back during a second visit to have the crown placed on the tooth after the dentist confirms that there are no additional problems.

A Tooth Extraction May Be Necessary

If the decay has severely compromised the structure of the tooth, there may not be anything left to save. This would happen if the decay has extended to the outer surface of the tooth, leaving very little material for the dentist to work with. In this situation, an extraction would be recommended to get rid of the tooth. You'll likely be told that a dental bridge should be used to replace the missing tooth, which suspends an artificial tooth between two surrounding teeth that are healthy. It can be an effective way to restore your smile.

Reach out to an office like Sun Dental to learn more. 

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