Tooth Decay: Information about our teeth and surrounding tissues (4/4)

Carries (Cavities) and Treatment:

The infectious disease which damages the structures of teeth is called dental carries (cavities) or sometimes called tooth decay. There is no known method to regenerate large amounts of tooth structure that is lost due to carries. Besides cavities preserve a fertile space for the bacteria that cause the illness. Therefore there are two goals in the cavity treatment. First to remove the space infected with bacteria. Second the fill the space with certain materials to preserve the shape function of the tooth. Unfortunately, currently there is no material to replace the missing tooth matter so well, that it has all the physical and chemical properties of the tooth and it bonds strongly. Therefore, various filling materials are used depending on the application and priorities.  For example for the front teeth, esthetics, and for the molars strength is the most important property. 

Materials used

° Temporary filling material usually containing Zinc
° Tooth healing materials containing Calcium
° Durable materials containing Silver, tin, zinc, gold
° Esthetic material containing glass, aluminum, phosphate, and mixture of resins.
° Materials used for various purpose made of aluminum silicate glass particles
° Bonding block materials which are prepared outside and glued to the tooth

What is Pulpitis

Pulpitis is the inflammation of the dental pulp which is the living part of the tooth that also contains nerves and veins. In situations when the pulp chamber is invaded by microorganisms, the protein ,carbohydrate and fat structures will break up in a chemical reaction. Due to this inflammation a pressure begins to build up in the pulp cavity exerting pressure on the nerve of the tooth and the surrounding tissues. Pressure from inflammation can cause mild to extreme pain, depending upon the severity of the inflammation. This can be seen even on the permanent teeth of children who has a good tendency to caries. 

Reasons for Pulpitis

The usual cause is the dental caries that reach to the pulp chamber, and breaks natural seal of the pulp chamber. Other possible reasons could be a broken tooth due to a sudden impact, fillings that leak, or other traumas.

Treatment

Unfortunately it is too late to keep the tooth alive. However, it is possible to clean the infection and keep the tooth in the mouth (root canal therapy). The last option is to pull the tooth.