Show #303 Airing 7/17/05
Now that we’ve given you the hard facts about fiber to chew on, will your teeth be up to the job? If you’ve got a soft spot for sweets, like me, you could find yourself with soft spots in your teeth. We’ve sweet-talked our dental expert, Dr. Steven Marsh, into advising us on how to treat decay and avoid the “thrill of the drill”.
Question: What causes decay?
Answer: Decay, which is the same as having a cavity, begins with food in the mouth. Bacteria break the food down into a kind of acid. If food is trapped in the mouth, the constant acid attack will soften the tooth, eating through first the enamel, then the dentin, then to the root.
Like cancer or rust on a car, if the decay is not treated, it will continue to spread. So the key is early detection.
Another way decay can be formed is if an old silver filling leaks, softening the surrounding tooth.
Question: Does it always hurt?
Answer: Not in the beginning stages. The enamel does not have root endings, so you will not feel the decay at that level.
Dentin does have root endings, and pain will begin when decay reaches here.
Question: How can decay be detected?
Answer: A traditional way to discover decay is to use the explorer, a pick or pointed instrument. If the tooth is hard, the explorer will not stick in the tooth. If decay has softened the tooth, the explorer will stick.
If decay has just started or is in between teeth, the explorer will not work. Instead, an x-ray will be needed.
The Diagnodent is a laser instrument that gives readings on whether or not there is decay in your tooth.
Caries dye may be painted on the tooth and then washed away. Any area that retains the dye has decay.
The tooth may change color if decay is present.
Question: What can be done to fix decay?
Answer: All the decay must be cleared out, fillings in place, and then things can be done to cosmetically fix the teeth. You wouldn’t put a veneer over decay—it would be like painting over rust. The decay would continue to spread.
Here, old fillings leaked, causing more decay. The teeth were also worn down in the back. We first replaced the fillings and then used crowns and veneers.
Another example of decay spreading in back teeth, fixed with new fillings.
Decay can also occur in the front teeth. After the decay was removed and filled with composite filling, veneers were used.
Don’t delay if you have decay. Call Dr. Marsh today.
