Tooth decay (Caries) in Leicester
Tooth decay, also known as caries, is something you do not want as it can lead to needing fillings, root canals or even extractions. Prevention is always better than a cure and with the right brushing and flossing technique done daily, you can prevent the formation of tooth decay. Once tooth decay has occurded and has progressed through the enamel into the dentine, you may not have any pain but no matter what you do, it is only going to get bigger. This is where a dental filling is recommended before the decay has reached the nerve. A filling is there to seal and protect a tooth by removing the tooth decay and filling the cavity with a composite resin.
Tooth decay in Leicester, caught while it is still a filling
Tooth decay is the most common reason people need dental treatment, and one of the few dental problems that is almost entirely preventable. It starts quietly. Bacteria in plaque feed on sugar and produce acid, the acid softens the enamel, and a cavity forms long before anything hurts. By the time a tooth aches, the decay has usually travelled through the enamel and into the softer dentine beneath, which is the difference between a simple filling and root canal treatment.
At Smile Serenity, a new patient examination is £70. We check every tooth, take X-rays where they are justified, and record how deep anything we find has gone. Very early decay can often be watched rather than drilled, and we will tell you when that is the sensible option. Book online or call 0116 4030109
What tooth decay actually is
A tooth has three layers. Enamel on the outside is the hardest substance in the body, but it has no living cells, so once it is lost it cannot grow back. Beneath it is dentine, softer and slightly porous, and in the centre is the pulp, which holds the nerve and blood supply.
Decay is the acid in plaque dissolving those layers, one at a time. Think of enamel as the glaze on a ceramic tile: while the glaze is intact, spills wipe off; once it is chipped, everything soaks into the clay underneath. The same is true of a tooth. Decay moves slowly through enamel and much faster once it reaches dentine, which is why a cavity that looks tiny on the surface can be surprisingly wide underneath.
The stages, and why pain arrives late
Softened enamel. A chalky white or brown patch with no hole. This is the only stage the tooth can repair itself, with fluoride and better cleaning putting minerals back.
No symptoms: -
A cavity in the enamel - Still usually painless, and if its just between teeth, flossing daily can remineralise these areas and fillings can be avoided.
Sweet, cold or hot things start to twinge for a few seconds and then settle: -
Into the dentine - The cavity widens quickly and symtoms of short lived discomfort, similar to sensitivity, can appear. We would recommend a filling to be done as soon as possible as this situation is border line close in needing a root canal treatment.
Close to the nerve: -
A thin layer of dentine is all that protects the pulp. Filled now, the tooth keeps its nerve. Left, the next stage follows. There is a risk of placing a filling very close to the nerve as there is a higher risk of failure.
At the nerve: -
Bacteria reach the pulp, which cannot heal. The sign is pain that lingers after the trigger has gone, throbs, or wakes you at night. Saving the tooth now means root canal treatment , usually followed by a crown . If the tooth is too heavily broken down or the decay has gone deep to bone level, we would recommend a tooth extraction .
The lesson is that decay is treated according to depth, not according to how much it hurts. The tooth that hurts is the one that has been decaying for months.
Why some people get decay and others don't
It is rarely a question of effort. The six things we see most often are how frequently you eat sugar (each exposure gives about half an hour of acid, so six snacks do more harm than one dessert), plaque left between the teeth where a brush cannot reach, old fillings and crowns with a gap at the edge, a dry mouth from medication or mouth-breathing, deep grooves or crowded teeth that shelter plaque, and gum recession exposing root surface, which has no enamel and decays at lower acid levels. Two people can brush identically and have very different risk because of these.
Children and decay
Baby teeth have thinner enamel and larger pulps, so decay reaches the nerve faster than in adults, and children rarely report early sensitivity. The commonest causes are sugary drinks in bottles or beakers, snacking through the day, and fruit juice or squash at bedtime. The current UK guidance is a smear of fluoride toothpaste for under-3s and a pea-sized amount from age 3, brushed by an adult until at least age 7, with the child spitting but not rinsing. Fissure sealants on the first adult molars, which arrive around age 6, are a quick, painless way to protect the surfaces most likely to decay. We are happy to see children from their first tooth. When a parent joins our dental plan , children under 16 are entitled to a free exam and 10% off any treatment.
Preventing it
Fluoride is the single most useful tool. Use a toothpaste with at least 1,350 ppm fluoride, brush last thing at night and one other time, and spit rather than rinse so the fluoride stays on the teeth. If you have had several fillings, a dry mouth or exposed roots, we may prescribe a higher-strength paste.
Clean between the teeth once a day with interdental brushes or floss, because the surfaces where teeth touch are where most adult decay starts. Keep sugar to mealtimes and finish with water. Sugar-free gum after eating raises saliva flow and helps neutralise acid. Tell us about any medication that dries your mouth, because it changes what we recommend. And come for a check-up at the interval we suggest, which for most adults is every six to twelve months, so that anything new is found while it is still small.
How we treat it
Treatment matches the depth. Softened enamel with no cavity is monitored with photographs and X-rays alongside prevention. Decay in the dentine is removed and the tooth rebuilt with a tooth-coloured white filling in one visit. Where the nerve is involved, root canal treatment cleans and seals the canals and saves a tooth that would otherwise be lost. Where too little tooth is left for a filling to hold, a crown or onlay restores its strength, from £730 per tooth. Filling and root canal fees are on our price list, and every plan is costed in writing before anything goes ahead.
If you are nervous, say so when you book. Most people who have avoided the dentist for years expect a lecture and a long list; what they usually get is a shorter list than they feared, in an order that spreads the cost.
When it is urgent
Get seen the same day if the pain throbs or keeps you awake, your face or gum is swollen, there is a bad taste or discharge, or the tooth is tender to bite on. These suggest the nerve is infected and forming an abscess and antibiotics alone will not resolve it. An emergency appointment is £55 and includes an X-ray, diagnosis and a treatment plan. Book an emergency appointment or call 0116 4030109
