According to medical statistics, caries is a disaster that every second inhabitant of the planet faces. However, the same medical statistics assure that with the timely start of treatment, you can not just stay with a tooth, but even turn the unpleasant destructive process back. True, this is possible only at the beginning of the disease. For example, doctors know how to treat caries in the spot stage with minimal negative effects for humans. In general, several stages are known in this disease, and each of them requires a specific approach.
Features of the disease
In some cases, it is possible (using the "Aykon" technology) the treatment of caries in the spot stage, and this option gives a very good result. On the other hand, a noticeable spot is not the first sign of a disease. At the very beginning, the pathology manifests itself as a white spot, which for the most part, patients do not pay attention to.
Over time, the color changes, and each shade indicates the next stage of destruction, softening of the enamel coating. After the white stage, the spot becomes dark. The simplest and most effective treatment will be caries in the spot stage without a drill at the very beginning, while this is still only a white damaged area. But in the later stages, dental intervention is no longer necessary.
White spot
This period of development of a dental disease is the very first. A careful examination of tooth enamel reveals that some areas are not the same color as most of the tooth covering. As a rule, caries in the spot stage in children (the photos presented in the article give a general idea of how it looks), as in adults, does not manifest itself with any sensations. The patient does not feel pain, this area is not characterized by high sensitivity. Well, since a bad tooth does not attract attention with unpleasant impressions, and in our time it is not customary to go to the dentists for a check too often, it turns out that people simply skip the onset of the disease, not even suspecting that right now is the best time to apply modern methods of treating caries in the spot stage and save the tooth, avoiding the installation of a filling or a more definitive intervention.
But do not go to the doctor?
In some patients, at first, caries is manifested not by a stain, but by strips that occur more often at the base of the tooth, near the root. At a visual examination, a layman often simply cannot notice such changes in color, so the tooth seems completely healthy. They also delay the treatment of caries in the spot stage due to the absence of manifestations for a very long time. However, if a dentist undergoes a preventive examination, the doctor will notice rough porous areas and warn about the need for therapy.
Treatment of caries in the spot stage at home can be reasonable only at the very beginning of the disease and only if the doctor has confirmed that such methods can be beneficial. Much depends on the characteristics of the course of the disease, on how long the tooth decay process has begun . It is difficult for a non-specialist to determine whether the folk method will help with caries in the initial stage. If this pathology is only just beginning, probably a positive effect will be, but not always, therefore it is better to trust a doctor. On examination, the dentist notices that some teeth cease to shine, as it is laid down by nature, since the porous areas absorb, but not reflect light. Based on this, you can understand how far the process has gone and which methods need to be applied. By the way, often doctors, explaining the features of caries treatment in the stage of the white spot, say that the affected areas of the teeth resemble stains of chalk. Usually they are pliable enamel. In many ways, it is important to start the treatment of caries in the stage of a white spot due to the increased softness of enamel - this not only indicates the gradual progress of the pathology, but also increases the risk of other diseases of the oral cavity.
Pathology develops
The next step is a dark spot. The progress of pathology is accompanied by a weakening of the protective qualities of enamel, so the tooth is exposed to the negative influence of pathogenic microbes. The treatment of caries in the dark spot stage must be started as soon as the disease is detected - it is impossible to delay, since the destructive processes occur quite quickly. If you tighten with the start, you will have to face the need for removal.
The affected areas of the tooth are characterized by favorable conditions for harmful bacteria, however, pigments accumulate quite quickly here. This is not only the products secreted by bacteria during the life of the colony, but also those dyes that are found in food and drinks. As can be seen from the practice of treating caries in the spot stage in children and adults, at this stage the tooth can have a different color - from fairly light shades of brown to almost black areas. Over time, the destruction of enamel progresses more and more, which leads to the formation of a cavity. If until this moment the method of treating caries in the spot stage with the Icon infiltration method could still help, then with the formation of the cavity this, as well as demineralization, will not show any useful effect. The only option is to remove the damaged area and replace it with an artificial element.
It's time to check your teeth
It is often very difficult for an average person to find that treatment of caries in the spot stage is necessary. At this stage, the pathology does not manifest itself as pain, and sensitivity increases only in a small percentage of cases. Mostly people do not even suspect that they have already begun caries, and with the naked eye, just smiling at themselves in the mirror, they will not be able to notice it.
In order to detect the problem in time and sign up for the treatment of caries in the spot stage, it is necessary to regularly undergo preventive examinations at the dentist. It is most effective to go to the diagnostics every three months, but definitely at least once a year. This will help to identify the disease at the very beginning and take measures to restore the enamel, while you can do without installing a seal.
Caries: where does it come from?
Dentists have been dealing with this issue for many decades. It was possible to formulate two groups of causes of tooth decay: local, general. These features, factors that affect the body as a whole are considered to be common, due to which the tissues do not receive the necessary trace elements, vitamins. This leads to a softening of the enamel - and now it is necessary to treat caries in the spot stage, because in the damaged areas the ability to reflect harmful bacteria is lost, and the internal tissues of the tooth become vulnerable.
Often, such common causes will be malnutrition, unbalanced nutrition, and poor quality of drinking water. More often caries affects residents of large cities. The influence is exerted by chronic pathologies, weak immunity, problems of the endocrine system, stresses, and genetic prerequisites. Negatively affect the body as a whole and on teeth in particular, diseases that affect the stomach and intestines.
Local reasons
Sometimes local causes cause the need for treatment of caries in the spot stage. These include those that directly affect the surface of the teeth. Most often, it is not enough to follow hygiene rules that allow you to keep your oral cavity in order. If tartar, plaque accumulate on the teeth, this also becomes the cause of the pathological condition. Local causes often explain the need for treatment of caries in the spot stage: injuries, other influences, due to which the integrity of the coating suffers. If the microflora balance is disturbed in the mouth, this also provokes carious processes. Long-term changes in the composition of saliva or too little salivation negatively affect enamel.
How to suspect?
To suggest that it is time to see a doctor, you can, if you pay attention to the condition of the oral cavity: caries are characterized by mild symptoms, but with proper care, they can be noticed. If during a visual examination a person sees that some part of the tooth has acquired a different shade, this is a certain signal: you need to urgently make an appointment with the dentist. These are not always spots, there may be streaks. Quite rarely, but there is an increase in sensitivity when drinking cold, hot. The progress of the process is associated with the appearance of dark marks.
When tapping the tooth surface with the use of special equipment, healthy enamel gives a different response than the patient. A doctor can notice this when a patient undergoes another preventive examination.
What to do?
If it was possible to detect caries at the initial stages of the development of the disease, it is impossible to delay with the start of therapy - in the future it will end with much more serious efforts and losses. Several effective methods for treating a carious spot are known. Usually, the doctor tells the patient exactly which options will be useful taking into account the specifics of the case, and also suggests choosing the safest available. Opportunities are directly determined by how large the affected area is and what kind of pathological process is.
At the initial stage, the most effective and safe option is to use specialized local funds. An alternative is a cardinal technique.
Local treatment
As a local therapy, you can resort to drugs that, when on the tooth, positively affect the enamel and strengthen it, nourishing with trace elements. In some cases, this way you can slow down the pathological process, and in some situations even turn it back - the tooth becomes healthy again. But you need to understand: this is possible only in case of timely treatment with the use of the highest quality medicines.
Quite often, fluorination technology is used. A film rich in fluorine is applied to the tooth - it protects the surface and nourishes the enamel. The tooth stubbornly resists external negative factors, and the tissues are filled with fluorine and its compounds. For home use in this situation, paste with a high fluorine content is recommended. Good results are shown by the use of Borovsky-Leus technology. This medical procedure is carried out in a dental office - the surface of the teeth is cleaned, covered with a special solution for half an hour, then a gel is applied on top. The duration of the therapeutic course is three weeks.
There is no need to rush
If a person prefers to use medicinal toothpastes containing microelements that positively affect the condition of enamel, he must remember that useful components penetrate the tissues of the body through direct contact for five minutes. Every day, twice a day (or every time after a meal), you need to brush your teeth for at least five minutes or a little longer, otherwise there will be no prevention and a positive effect from the drugs.
Drill against tooth decay
This option is most effective for progressive caries, when the process of tooth decay has gone quite far. With a careful examination of the oral cavity, the doctor assesses how effective the application of the methods described above will be and, in case of an unfavorable prognosis, advises resorting to a special machine. During the operation, the doctor will remove the damaged tooth elements, clean the cavity from dust and organic residues.
If pulpitis is installed, you usually have to put a temporary seal, which after a while is changed to permanent.
Caries: how to warn?
As with any other disease, the best measure against tooth decay is effective systematic prevention. It involves careful observance of hygiene rules. Doctors have established that timely cleaning of the oral cavity from microscopic life forms can reduce the likelihood of a carious process by several times. It also reduces the chances of plaque and prevents inflammation that affects the gums. It is especially difficult for parents raising young children: it is more difficult to instill hygiene rules than to follow them all their lives. If you managed to teach your child to brush his teeth regularly and explain to him the importance of this event, there is no doubt that his mouth will be healthy for a long time and the number of fillings is minimal.
Doctors recommend brushing your teeth always after eating. This allows you to get rid of plaque and food debris. Both enamel and the inner surface of the cheeks are cleaned, as well as the sky and tongue. The best effect is the use of high-quality pastes, and you need to choose them based on the needs of the body and lifestyle features. In particular, bleaching pastes are not recommended, since the compositions include abrasive particles that adversely affect the state of enamel - it becomes thinner. The choice of brushes for brushing your teeth should be similar: hard models are not suitable for everyone, it is better to give preference to an average or low level of hardness. This will allow longer to keep the enamel in good condition.
What else to look for?
A rather strong influence on the condition of the teeth and the likelihood of developing caries is exerted by a diet and a balanced diet. Doctors recommend compiling a diet so that it has a lot of calcium-rich, phosphorus-rich foods. Fresh vegetables and fruits will not be superfluous.
To keep your teeth beautiful, healthy longer, you should completely abandon all bad habits. Relentless medical statistics indicate that smokers suffer from caries several times more often than those who do not smoke at all. In addition, from the stage of the white spot, caries during smoking progresses to a developed form much faster than those who lead a healthy lifestyle. Smoking provokes the formation of an unhealthy atmosphere in the oral cavity, including due to the constant sharp temperature changes. This leads to cracking of tooth enamel.
Stability keeps you healthy
In order not to encounter tooth decay longer, and when it appears immediately to detect the disease at an early stage, you need to regularly visit the dentist. The habit should be instilled from early childhood and maintained throughout life. A regular examination allows you to identify pathology at the very beginning and take appropriate measures before the drill becomes the only option.
At home, it will not be superfluous to regularly use preventive drugs. These are gels, pastes that allow you to keep your oral cavity healthy, preventing the development of the carious process. When brushing your teeth, you need to pay attention to the space between the teeth: neither plaque nor food debris should remain in it, otherwise putrefactive processes will soon provoke the disease.
Prevention: we seek the help of a doctor
There are several effective caries prevention techniques implemented in hospital walls. In particular, this is a professional cleaning. It is recommended to use this service monthly. In stationary conditions, the dentist thoroughly cleans the oral cavity and removes accumulated plaque, cleans teeth from deposits, including in places difficult to access for self-cleaning. Also, the doctor will use special drugs to strengthen tooth enamel, give recommendations for home care.
Usually they install mouthguards or spray varnishes containing abundance in abundance. Professional prevention significantly reduces the risk of a carious process, and in some cases at the stage of a white spot can turn the process back. Often, caries initially develops covertly and even a doctor cannot find it during examination, but such preventive measures can stop the pathological processes in the teeth. In addition, during the cleaning, the doctor carefully examines the patient's oral cavity for carious processes, which allows you to fix the need for treatment in time.