Dental caries

• Poor oral hygiene: The plaque that covers the tooth enamel is composed of saliva, food debris and bacteria. Germs multiply in dental plaque and produce acids that gradually destroy the enamel until they penetrate the deeper layers of the tooth.
• Diet and eating habits: an unbalanced diet rich in sugar, acids, or snacking habits increase the risk of cavities.
• Genetics: Dentin or enamel defects will make your teeth more vulnerable to bacterial aggression.
• Cariogenic bacteria, we all have a different bacterial flora, some people have it very aggressive that produces a lot of acids by metabolizing sugars.
• Tooth positioning: teeth that overlap are more difficult to clean.

If a cavity is left untreated, it can develop into pulpitis, a particularly painful infection that can lead to nerve necrosis. It is therefore necessary to act and consult a dentist.

Depending on the location of the cavity, its degree of advancement and the age of the patient, the dentist may decide on a treatment, namely:

• Conservative care: in this case, the dentist removes the tissues degraded by carious disease and then fills the cavity with a biocompatible filling material, such as a dental composite, or an onlay.
• The devitalization of the tooth: when the decay has reached the dental pulp, the dentist devitalizes the tooth. This endodontic treatment involves removing the nerves and blood vessels from the tooth. The roots are filled to prevent any recurrence of bacterial infection.
• The reconstruction with a dental prosthesis: when the decay has destroyed a large part of the tooth, it can be reconstructed with an onlay or crown. In some cases, it is necessary to extract the tooth. The placement of a dental implant associated with a crown it’s often the best choice to replace a missing tooth.