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A daily approach to oral care is essential if you want to help avoid cavity pain. Tooth decay doesn’t happen overnight — it develops and deepens as part of an ongoing process. Make sure to take your oral health seriously to keep your mouth as healthy as possible.
To help prevent cavity pain, start by reducing plaque. Look (or feel) for a colourless, sticky coating on the surface of your teeth, especially near the gum line. This is a buildup of bacteria and sugars that are always gathering as you eat and drink. Plaque bacteria converts carbohydrates (sugars and starches) from the food you eat into acids that can break down and damage tooth enamel and ultimately create a small hole in the tooth, which may hurt — that’s cavity pain.
Tooth Decay Treatment
If left untreated, cavities can go from bad to worse to “ouch”. Don’t delay tooth decay treatment — if you suspect you have a cavity see your dentist. As a cavity progresses into deeper layers of a tooth, it can eventually reach the delicate nerves at the centre, which may result in an abscess — an infection at the root tip. At this point, a root canal, surgery, or extraction may be necessary.
Prevention
Thank goodness you can almost always prevent tooth decay. Try to eat a well-balanced diet, limiting starches and sugars. Keep up regular appointments with your dentist. If a cavity is identified early, a dentist can help you turn things around. You can also help re-mineralize your tooth enamel and could reverse decay at the early stages with twice-a-day brushing using a fluoride toothpaste, and rinsing with a fluoride mouthwash such as LISTERINE ULTRACLEAN® ENAMEL PROTECTION or LISTERINE TOTAL CARE®.