Hi, my name is Dr. Abalos, and I'm here at Sunbrite Dental. I usually get a lot of questions regarding tooth decay. Today, I want to go over the usual questions I receive so that I can answer some of the questions you have regarding tooth decay. Perfect.
Doctor, what is tooth decay?
Let's start with the basics. What is tooth decay? Decay and rot are two different words for the same thing. Tooth decay is rot found in our teeth. The way our teeth rot is the same process you've seen in fruits and vegetables. Just like that banana, apple, or avocado you've seen rot, once it starts, the rot doesn't stop on its own. It'll continue, and if left to continue, it can spread to nearby teeth. I think that's where the saying "one bad apple will spoil the rest" comes from. That saying is true for teeth as well. If you have one rotting tooth that isn't taken care of, the rot can spread to other teeth.
What causes dental decay?
Usually, the missing component to fending off rot from happening in our teeth is regular visits to the dentist. I'm going to show you my model and imagine my fingers are toothbrush bristles. When we brush, we remove most of the plaque and harmful bacteria that can cause tooth decay. However, because our teeth aren't flat, it's virtually impossible for us to get everything. Teeth have nooks and crannies that we cannot reach. That's where dental professionals come in. We help you get the areas you're missing, usually the teeth further in the back, because they have the most nooks and crannies. When we eat, the food doesn't usually stay around our front teeth. Their main job is to cut or slice into food. Most of the chewing happens with our back teeth, where most of the chewed-up food stays around and between our teeth. If you look at my model, you see this side? This is the picture of health. The gums are pink and tight, and the teeth are not rotting or breaking. This side leads to all the reasons why patients don't like the dentist. That's when huge problems occur. Gums are bleeding, puffy, and teeth can be rotting or breaking. If the gums recede enough, teeth can get loose. All of this can be prevented if the patient follows the trifecta of success: brushing twice a day, flossing or using the Waterpik once a day, and coming to see the dentist regularly. If I see that a patient is more at risk of these problems, I will recommend coming to see us four times a year, every three months, instead of just twice a year. Totally doable, totally can prevent this side from happening and keep you here. Good. You answered a bunch of questions with that. Very nice.
Can tooth decay lead to other complications with the body?
The answer is yes. I'm going to show you the other side of my model, which is like the colored television version of the black and white X-rays that we dentists look at. Teeth are living; every tooth gets its own blood supply. Blood from the heart and lungs goes up the root through the middle, where it drops off nutrients from the food we eat and oxygen from our breath for the tooth to use, then goes back down to the heart and lungs. Teeth are connected to the body through this network of blood vessels. You see this dark spot here? That is tooth decay or rot. Our teeth have the same design as our nails: something hard surrounded by skin. Skin in the mouth is called the gums. You've been able to cut your nails all your life, and it doesn't hurt because the part we're cutting is the non-living part of the nail. But if you've ever accidentally cut too short or torn a nail to the pink part, that's when it hurts. The same design applies to teeth. When teeth first start to rot, it usually doesn't hurt because the rot is in the non-living part. However, rot will continue to get bigger and deeper. Once it gets closer to the living part, pain or sensitivity starts to set in. We would like to prevent teeth from rotting, but if we cannot, how we dentists deal with rot is probably how you deal with rot. You've probably decided to cut out the rotten part of the fruit instead of throwing away the whole thing. That's the same logic we dentists use when looking at our patients' teeth. It would be such a waste to pull out the whole tooth. Let me just cut out the rotten part. Depending on the stage of rot, I determine what I need to do to make my patient's tooth whole again.
Can tooth decay return to normal?
The answer is no. Rot is rot. Once a piece of fruit, vegetable, or meat starts rotting, it doesn't revert to how it was before. If you catch it early, you need to cut out the rotten part. But if it's too late and too much is rotten, that's when we decide to toss the whole thing out. It's the same logic you use when preparing fruit and vegetables. If a small piece is rotting, you may save it by cutting out the rotten part. The same applies when we catch it early. Sometimes, it's like a banana with many dark spots, and you calculate that by the time you cut out everything, there's really nothing left. It's not worth it. That's the same logic we dentists use when looking at our patients' teeth. Good.
What are some treatments for tooth decay?
Depending on the stage of rot, I'll show you my model here. You see how this dark spot is small? That's early-stage rot. Once we cut it out, I've created a small hole in the tooth. That's when I decide to fill it up, which would be a filling. If the dark spot is now half the tooth, I'll still use the same logic to cut out the rotten part. But since I'm cutting out a bigger chunk, I've essentially made the tooth weaker. That's when I decide to put a little helmet on the tooth. I wish we dentists called it helmets because football players wear helmets to prevent cracking their skulls. It's the same thing. Let me put a helmet on my patient's tooth so I'm not afraid when they chew crunchy things like chips, nuts, or ice. But professionally, it's called a crown or a cap. That's middle-stage rot. If you look at this tooth, the rot has reached the living part and has started dying or is dead. If we feel we can still save the tooth, this is when I decide to do a root canal and a crown. This is how the tooth looks before, and this is how it would look after a root canal and crown, if the X-rays were in color. This is late-stage rot. End-stage rot is like that banana with too many dark spots. By the time you cut everything out, there's nothing left. You have to throw it away. Same with teeth. If the rot is too much and there's nothing left after cutting out all the rot, we decide to take out the tooth. Then, our conversation is about how to replace the tooth we're taking out. It depends on what stage of rot we catch the tooth at.
How do I stop tooth decay from spreading?
Take care of it as soon as it's discovered. Going back to the pieces of fruit, you have to cut out the rot so it doesn't spread to other fruits. Same with teeth. If you're told and shown that one tooth or a group of teeth are rotting, take care of it quickly. It doesn't make sense to wait if several teeth are rotting. Yes, we can phase it out, but it needs to happen in a timely manner. A common reaction is, "I'll take care of this, but when my insurance renews next year, then I'll take care of the rest." Rot is rot. It doesn't wait. The longer it takes to address the rot, the more time you're giving it to spread to other teeth, which can lead to unnecessary expenses. Good.
When should I see a dentist about treating tooth decay?
If you've been told by a dentist that you have cavities, which is another word for tooth decay or rot, try to take care of it as soon as possible. Depending on the stage of rot, if it's middle or late stage, chances are the rot has spread. You want to isolate the rot to keep it from spreading to more teeth, which can also increase the cost of your treatment.
I hope I was able to answer some of the questions you had regarding tooth decay. If I didn't answer all your questions, please feel free to reach out to me. You can reach me at (702) 819-0866. You can also text me at that same number or email me at [email protected]. We spell Bright B-R-I-T-E. See you next time.