Most dental problems arise due to tooth cavities or decay, though both these are interchangeable words, but in dentistry, they are described as different procedures. Both types of dental problems affect your teeth, and to get rid of both these problems, you need to visit at the dentist and get the right treatment.
However, knowing the difference between decay and cavityis important to take care of teeth, avoid food that causes these diseases and to get the right treatment. Understanding the symptoms and root causes of such dental problems will help you to avoid them and take the right approach. Hence, here we have mentioned the key difference between tooth decay and cavities with their impact and curable solutions.
Tooth decay is the process of destruction and damage of the outer layer of your tooth. The tooth decay is mainly caused by the acids produced by the bacteria in plaque and affects the enamel. The acids responsible for the bacteria are created when bacteria consume sugars and starches from the food, eroding the enamel that ultimately leads to holes, causing pain and infections.
The cavity is a hole or decomposed spot in a tooth, mainly caused by tooth decay. This usually happens when acids from bacteria in plaque break down tooth enamel. When you ignore the cavities, these holes become larger, which will cause pain and sensitivity in your teeth with infections if untreated. The dentist who removes the decayed part and fills the hole with a suitable filling material can cure these cavities.
Both are types of dental problems that affect your teeth, and when you ignore them, they can damage your teeth, leaving you no other option but a tooth extraction. Hence, understanding the differences between them will help you to deal with such dental problems with the right solution.
Symptoms
When your teeth are affected by decay, you will notice a hole or pits in your affected tooth with brown, black, or white spots. Apart from that, you will also feel the sensitivity and pain in your teeth affected by decay. However, in tooth decay, you might not notice any symptoms. You might see white, brown, or black spots on the surface of your tooth, but if you notice sensitivity and pain, it can be a decay.
On the other hand, when you have a tooth cavity, along with visible holes or pits in teeth, you will also feel the pain and sensitivity while consuming hot or cold food or beverages. Other symptoms of tooth cavities include brown, black, or white stains on your teeth, bad breath or an unpleasant taste. However, in severe cases, when an infection due to a cavity causes an abscess, your mouth becomes swollen. However, the cavities at the early stage don’t have symptoms.
Causes
Because of consuming sugar and starchy foods, the harmful bacteria in your mouth cause tooth decay. In fact, when these bacteria feed on sugars and starches from foods and drinks, they create the plaque which is a kind of sticky film on your teeth. The risk factors behind tooth decay are consuming sugar and acidic food frequently, poor hygiene, a lack of fluoride and dry mouth.
The bacteria in plaque that produce the acids again cause cavities in the tooth. And these bacteria become active when you consume sugary and starchy foods and beverages. The acid attack starts creating holes in your tooth surface and then starts eroding the tooth enamel. Not only consuming the starchy foods and drinks, but also poor oral hygiene and inadequate exposure to fluoride.
How to Avoid?
To avoid tooth decay, consume fewer sugary and acidic foods that are harmful to your teeth. And most importantly, always rinse your mouth after consuming such foods or beverages and brush twice daily, especially with fluoride toothpaste. Also, take a balanced diet and visit best dentist in Greater Noida regularly for routine check-ups and professional cleanings to keep your teeth healthy.
Just like tooth decay, to keep your teeth free from cavities, you need to avoid or limit your sugar and acidic food intake. And also maintain your oral hygiene by rinsing your mouth after consuming such foods, and always brush your teeth twice with fluoride-based toothpaste. And last but not least, keep visiting your dentist for regular checks and cleaning to remove cavities professionally.
Curable Home Remedies
To avoid tooth decay, you can try some of the natural home remedies, like practising oil pulling with coconut oil to remove plaque or rinsing with warm salt water to reduce swelling. Apart from that, you can also consume guava leaves or drink green tea, which has antibacterial properties, to get relief from tooth pain caused by decay. And to keep your teeth healthy, add adequate calcium and Vitamin D-rich foods to your diet.
Though cavities are not curable with home remedies, there are some good natural remedies that can help you keep cavities away from your teeth. You can use saltwater to rinse your mouth or use the garlic or turmeric paste for its antibacterial properties. Furthermore, you can also apply clove oil for numbing pain or practice oil pulling with coconut oil to reduce bacteria causing the cavities. But prevention is better than cure, hence, limit your sugar and starchy food consumption and brush your teeth with fluoride toothpaste.
Right Treatment
The right treatment for tooth decay depends on the tooth condition and the severity of decay. At the early stage of decay, you can be cured with fluoride or go for dental fillings. While the extensive damage due to decay can be cured with a dental procedure called a dental crown, in which a custom-fitted cap is used to protect and restore the strength of your teeth. And in the worst conditions, root canal treatment is one of the best dental procedures for tooth decay, and when it also does not work, tooth extraction is the last solution.
Similarly, tooth cavities can be treated according to the tooth condition and the severity of the cavity. In the early stage of cavity development, you can go for fluoride treatments, or it can be cured with fillings and crowns. But in the tooth critically damaged by the cavities can be cured with root canal treatment, and in the worst condition, you need to remove your damaged teeth by a tooth extraction dental procedure.
Conclusion
Though there is no major difference between tooth decay and cavities, both are different stages of your teeth getting affected by the harmful bacteria. And these harmful bacteria get triggered by consuming sugary and starchy food items and produce the acid that causes decay and cavities. To avoid tooth decay and cavities, always rinse your mouth with fresh water after consuming sugar and starch-based food items. Also, brush your teeth twice daily with fluoride-based toothpaste and add calcium and Vitamin D-rich foods to keep your teeth healthy. And also keep visiting your nearest dentist in P-3, Greater Noida, for regular check-ups or cleaning and get the right treatment to cure the tooth decay and cavities.
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