Tooth decay: Causes, symptoms and treatments

Few people have never suffered from a cavity in their lives. Although it has always existed, this condition has developed dramatically in recent decades.

Dentists blame industrial food, unrestrained consumption of sweets and sodas, and snacking throughout the day.

They note increasingly early pathologies in young children whose diet lacks the nutrients present in fruits and vegetables, combined with the abuse of sugars. Cavities affect everyone at any age.

Nutrident draws up the portrait of this benign affection when it is treated in time, but whose consequences are unfortunate in the contrary case.

What is tooth decay?

Tooth decay is an infection caused by bacteria living in your mouth. Saliva, along with food debris, produces a slimy substance called plaque, which contains a lot of bacteria. The numbers of “bad” bacteria and “good” bacteria must be balanced.

Regular brushing removes plaque before it settles on the teeth and calcifies as tartar. Once tartar has set in, bad bacteria take over and find more opportunities to damage the teeth.

Despite all the precautions you can take, you can develop cavities. Bacteria dig a tiny hole in the enamel that protects the tooth by producing acids that erode its surface. If the dentist does not intervene quickly, the bacteria continue to drill and reach the lower layer, the dentin, and then the living part of the tooth, the pulp.

Symptoms of tooth decay

Cavities take time to show symptoms. As long as the bacteria have not penetrated the enamel layer, you do not feel any pain. Only a tiny stain betrays the cavity, but you need the dentist's light and magnifying glass to see it.

A black spot

If it is placed on a front tooth, you can see the small black spot by using a magnifying mirror. You can also feel the cavity that creates an irregularity on the surface of your tooth by running your tongue over it.

Since the first signs of tooth decay are not obvious, a check-up at the dentist's office is essential at any age, at least once a year. It is preferable twice a year, especially if you don't have very good teeth to begin with.

Increased sensitivity to heat and cold

If the cavity is not treated at this stage, the first symptoms are hypersensitivity to hot and cold, as well as when you chew, especially if your tooth comes into contact with sweet foods.

The deeper the bacteria burrow, the more intense the pain. It also becomes permanent. Your tooth starts to turn yellow or even brown.

An abscess may also form, which will make the entire environment around the tooth painful, with gums that may swell and turn bright red.

Cavities also cause halitosis, or bad breath.

Caries in children

Under no circumstances should you neglect your children's oral health, as baby teeth can decay. Just because they are only temporary doesn't mean we shouldn't care. On the one hand, any infection can worsen and cause more serious pathologies.

Bacteria multiply in the mouth, are then ingested through saliva and can enter the bloodstream.

On the other hand, cavities in baby teeth can contaminate the permanent teeth growing underneath. The teeth will already be spoiled by the time they emerge from the gums.

Teach your children to brush their teeth from the time they are very young. This also gives them good habits that they will naturally maintain throughout their lives and they will in turn pass on this good behavior to their children.

The influence of childhood diseases on caries

Childhood illnesses can cause cavities that appear much later. If the disease strikes the child at a crucial time in the growth of the teeth, they will be affected by the general weakening of the organism, but also by the drug treatments which are never neutral. Antibiotics are the most common cause.

The teeth concerned are therefore more fragile and will be affected first by caries.

Caries in pregnant women

Pregnant women are more prone to tooth decay for several reasons.

– When they suffer from nausea, reflux and vomiting, the acids that pass through the mouth weaken the enamel.

– Hormonal changes cause high concentrations of progesterone, which leads to a decrease in bicarbonates in saliva. This has the effect of decreasing their effectiveness in reducing acidity inside the mouth and causing demineralization of the teeth, hence the appearance of cavities.

– The body is generally tired by pregnancy and less effective in fighting against aggressions.

How to avoid cavities?

Oral hygiene is the first rule to avoid cavities (and all other possible infections). Know that you inherit the quality of your teeth from your parents. Some are more fragile than others and more prone to cavities.

Brush your teeth regularly

In any case, you should brush your teeth after each meal. Electric toothbrushes have proven their effectiveness. Their rapid movement and ability to reach the smallest corners of the mouth reduce the risk of cavities.

When you go out, work or have lunch, always carry a travel toothbrush and a mini tube of toothpaste.

You always find a way to brush your teeth quickly so you don't have food debris in your mouth all afternoon, and to get rid of plaque. Choose a quality toothpaste, your dentist will recommend the best brands.

Dental floss: an ally of choice

If you have very tight teeth, use a toothbrush to get rid of food debris that gets stuck between your teeth and that the brush can't remove. You can also use the dental jet which eradicates plaque and gives you a pleasant massage of the gums.

If your enamel is fragile by nature, you can find very effective toothpastes to strengthen it. When you have finished brushing your teeth, do not rinse with water, but let the saliva do its work, this will prolong the action of the toothpaste a little.

How to treat a cavity?

Cavities can be treated with a drill, a tool with a terrible reputation whose noise makes dentists' chairs shudder!

The visit to the dentist

When the practitioner intervenes at the very beginning of the cavity, in a few minutes, he cleans the cavity and applies a dressing called a filling. Amalgam or metallic-colored composite is tending to disappear in favor of more aesthetic materials, such as cement, because they are tooth-colored.

Caring for cavities at birth is really benign. This is why two visits per year are preferable. On the other hand, if the bacteria have progressed too far in their undermining work, the dentist may judge that the cavity is too advanced for a simple filling to be sufficient.

Devitalize the tooth

In this case, he will proceed to the devitalization of the tooth. The dentist will then trim the tooth to remove all of the bacteria-damaged area, and then trim it so that a crown can be placed on it.

If the tooth is too damaged to support a crown, it must be removed and an implant must be screwed into the jawbone to serve as a pivot for the crown.

Tooth decay costs

The treatment of a tooth decay remains reasonable (under 50 €) and is reimbursed up to 70% by the health insurance. If you have a complementary insurance, it can take care of the rest.

Find the structure that meets your needs by visiting our free mutual insurance comparison service :

If you wait and your tooth has to be devitalized and replaced by a crown or an implant, the costs can be counted in hundreds of euros and are very poorly reimbursed. This should really encourage you to keep up with your annual dental check-up.

Social Security's M'T Dents program

Since 2007, the French health insurance system has put in place a program – M'T Dents – which offers a free visit to the dentist every three years, between the ages of 3 and 24. You don't have to pay any money in advance, because the social security pays the dentist directly. However, orthodontic treatments and dentures are not covered.

One month before your 3rd, 6th, 9th, 12th, 15th, 18th and 24th birthday, you will receive an M'T dents form on your Ameli account or by mail. You make an appointment with your dentist for your child within one year of his or her birthday.

In order not to pay in advance, you must present the M'T Dents form and your health insurance card.

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