What to Know if You Have a Cavity

Cavities are so common that, sometimes, having one doesn’t seem like such a big deal. At least, not until the cavity gets worse and you’re forced to take the condition more seriously. Fortunately, you don’t have to suffer the cavity or let it get worse. At our Ankeny, IA, dentist’s office, we can help you find relief from the pain of a cavity and save your tooth from its destructive power by restoring your tooth with a biocompatible, tooth-colored filling.

Your toothache will only grow worse

A toothache is one of the most common telltale signs of a cavity, which describes a depression in your tooth caused by progressive tooth decay. The longer tooth decay is allowed to remain, the larger the cavity will grow and the more intense the discomfort in your tooth will become. The only way to relieve this discomfort is to have your dentist remove the infection from within your tooth and fill the cavity with a durable, biocompatible material. For example, tooth-colored resin is one of the most common types of tooth fillings, as it can successfully restore your tooth as well as its healthy appearance.

You’ll need a larger filling if you wait

Because a cavity grows larger the longer you wait to treat it, you may need a larger filling to treat yours if you wait. This means more of your tooth structure will have to be cleaned away due to the infection, and the remaining healthy tooth structure could be less structurally sound. In some cases, a filling won’t be enough to restore the tooth, and you could require more involved root canal treatment to effectively save it.

You might risk losing the tooth, too

In severe cases of tooth decay, a tooth can become so decayed that a filling or root canal treatment isn’t enough to save and restore it. In such cases, the tooth and its infected structure can pose a significant threat to the rest of your oral health, and the only way to mitigate the threat is to extract the tooth. While we can replace the tooth with a highly lifelike restoration, such as a dental implant and crown, your long-term oral health benefits more from protecting and preserving as much healthy, natural tooth structure as possible.

Learn what to do if you have a cavity

If you have a cavity, then saving your tooth requires treating it as soon as possible, before it gets worse. To learn more, schedule an appointment by calling Peddicord Family Dentistry in Ankeny, IA, today at (515) 963-3339. We also proudly serve patients of all ages who live in Bondurant, Polk City, Elkhart, Alleman, Cambridge, and all surrounding communities.