As mentioned in our previous article, cavities in their early phase of formation are mostly asymptomatic and if detected at this stage, easily repaired with a small conservative filling or restoration. Today we will discuss what happens if cavities are left untreated.
Untreated cavities can spread and destroy more and more tooth structure, eventually exposing the Dental Pulp (the inner part of the tooth that contains blood vessels and nerves of the tooth). This will cause infection of the Pulp and tooth abscess formation. Bacteria can enter the pulp through a cavity, a chip or a crack in the tooth. The bacteria destroy the pulp and can cause swelling and inflammation at the tip of the root. More extensive dental work will be required to save the tooth. The symptoms can be severe and can be unbearable to the patient. Signs and symptoms of a tooth abscess include:
An abscess will not go away without treatment. If the abscess ruptures, the pain may decrease significantly, but you will still need dental treatment. If left untreated, the infection may spread to other parts of the head and neck causing further complications. It is also important to note that antibiotics only play a partial role in the treatment of a dental abscess. Antibiotics will decrease swelling and improve the symptoms of the patient, but if the tooth is left untreated the infection will recur and often the symptoms will be worse and more difficult to treat.
A dental abscess is diagnosed primarily by clinical symptoms (pain to percussion, hot and cold sensitivity, swelling etc.) and then our initial diagnosis confirmed with an x-ray. Treatment of a dental abscess is based on the severity of the infection and the amount of destruction on the tooth. The following may be needed:
I hope you enjoyed this insert and please look out for our next instalment.
Kind regards
Dr Ruan Radmeyer
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