Cavities are an infectious and contagious form of tooth decay.
Where do cavities come from?
Cavities are the result of one or more of the following factors:
Cariogenic Bacteria: Streptococcus mutans and Lactobacillus acidophilus which form plaque
Sugar: (even foods like bread and milk contain sugar)
Acidity: when the pH level inside the mouth decrease below 5.5 (Coca Cola, for example, has a pH of 2.3)
Poor Oral Hygiene: insufficient or irregular brushing
Tooth Enamel Integrity: issues can arise from both genetic and environmental factors
Salivation Issues: for example, not enough saliva (just another reason why it's important to drink enough water!)
Gastrointestinal Issues: for example, gastroesophageal reflux which lowers the pH within the mouth
Short Lingual Frenulum: which prevents the tongue from reaching all the teeth and fulfilling its cleaning role
What Are The Symptoms?
Once you see that your child has symptoms of cavities , you should immediately contact a pediatric dentist.
One or more black spots on one or several teeth
An inflammation of the gums that can result in bleeding when brushing
Pain while brushing
Hypersensitivity to heat, cold, or sugar
Difficulty chewing (or your child only chews on one side)
The appearance of an abscess (a whiteish swelling on the gums)
How Are Cavities Treated?
Cavities (whether in baby or permanent teeth) need to be treated. The specific procedure depends on the level of progression of the cavity, but the general principal is to remove the decay and then restore the tooth.
How Do We Diagnose Cavities?
Dr. Agachi uses a variety of modern devices and techniques to diagnose cavities and their stage of development- even when they’re invisible to the naked eye and X-ray.
Intraoral Cameras
Intraoral cameras help enhance what we see through autofluorescence and chromatic amplification. But more simply, these cameras render affected areas of the tooth in red, and their capacity to do so often catches cavities that are invisible to X-ray imaging.
Digital X-Ray Machines
Our digital X-ray machine records retro-alveolar images that precisely reveal the structure of teeth as well as the presence of cavities.
Surgical Loupes
Dr. Agachi employs advanced surgical loupes that magnify and enhance regions of tooth decay up to 100x, revealing details invisible to the naked eye and X-ray!
What matters most to us is the health of your children’s teeth. That’s why we offer an entire range of treatment options specially adapted for children, that are designed to be natural, painless, and non-invasive.
Currently, conventional dentistry is in the process of evolving towards more natural treatments that incorporate the innate healing abilities of the tooth’s hard tissues.
Dr. Adriana Agachi, Pediatric Oral Surgeon
How Do We Treat Cavities According To Their Different Stages?
If the cavity has been allowed to progress, now is the time to stop it! By using a laser, we both minimize the both the region removed as well as discomfort.
Once the cavity has reached the dentin, it’s important to be as conservative as possible while removing the decay. To do this, we use a specialized ceramic drill that is only capable of removing decayed tooth- once it makes contact with healthy tooth, it stops!
Once the decay is removed, we protect the dentin and fill the hole with a composite whose characteristics match those of the tooth as closely as possible.
Attention! We do not perform metal fillings in this office!
Is treating baby teeth necessary even though they'll eventually fall out?
Absolutely! It’s a common misconception that baby teeth don’t require treatment because they’ll eventually fall out and be replaced by permanent teeth.
Baby teeth serve many indispensable purposes, from the functional (chewing, pronunciation, etc.) to the aesthetic.
An infected baby tooth can cause considerable damage to permanent teeth.
Baby teeth help ensure the proper growth and alignment of permanent teeth.
It's therefore absolutely necessary to treat baby teeth as soon as they become affected. In cases where cavities are exceedingly deep, we we do everything possible to prevent the loss of a baby tooth.
We perform a pulpotomy to remove any affected pulp tissue within the crown of the tooth.
Afterwards, a special material is placed to prevent bacterial growth and calm the remaining nerve tissue. This treatment maintains the vitality of the affected tooth.
This is followed by a final restoration involving materials such as glass ionomer cements or composite fillings. If the tooth decay was excessive, a preformed inlay-onlay is placed over the tooth.
We perform a pulpectomy is necessary when the pulp tissu is necrotic. In this case, it is completely removed, both from the crown and from the root. The canals are cleaned and disinfected prior to restoration.
With baby teeth, at this point we remove the tooth and put in a dental space maintainer to preserve tooth alignment while awaiting the permanent tooth.
Alternatively, it's possible to fill the canal with a resorbable material and then cover the tooth with a custom pediatric dental crown.
With permanent teeth, the canals are filled with a non-resorbable material and then covered with an inlay/onlay.
Is treating baby teeth necessary even though they'll eventually fall out?
Absolutely! It’s a common misconception that baby teeth don’t require treatment because they’ll eventually fall out and be replaced by permanent teeth.
Baby teeth serve many indispensable purposes, from the functional (chewing, pronunciation, etc.) to the aesthetic.
An infected baby tooth can cause considerable damage to permanent teeth.
Baby teeth help ensure the proper growth and alignment of permanent teeth.
It's therefore absolutely necessary to treat baby teeth as soon as they become affected. In cases where cavities are exceedingly deep, we we do everything possible to prevent the loss of a baby tooth.
What instruments do we use to treat cavities?
Air Abrasion
Air abrasion is used to treat cavities in their beginning stages without drilling and without pain.
Lasers
Lasers can replace the need to drill, allowing for gentler, more precise treatments.
Ceramic Drill Bits
We use specialized ceramic drill bits that minimize tooth removal in only removing decayed regions of the tooth, one layer at a time.
How do we ensure that our dental procedures are pain free and not scary?
Nitrous Oxide
(Laughing Gas)
In cases of extreme anxiety, we administer nitrous oxide, which is a mild gaseous anesthetic administered via respirator that helps your child relax without putting them to sleep.
Osteocentral
Anesthesia
We use an intraosseous anesthesia, which precisely targets the affected region, eliminates pain entirely, significantly increases comfort levels, and avoids numbing your child’s lips, tongue, and cheek so there is no risk of biting oneself.
Virtual Reality
Headsets
Healthy Mind is a virtual reality headset, developed in close collaboration with doctors and neuroscientists, that’s clinically proven to reduce pain and anxiety- all while transporting your child to their favorite animated world of oceans, mountains, forests…
As parents, you are your child’s first companions! You know how to reassure your child when they’re afraid, and calm them when they’re feeling anxious. With your collaboration, we can take every step to ensure that your children associate nothing but positive experiences and happy memories with dentistry and dental care.
Focus attention away from the treatment
Avoid words that can be scary
Try breathing exercices for relaxation
What material do we use to fill cavities?
Once the cavity has been removed, Dr. Agachi will restore the tooth, which naturally means filling the hole left by the cavity. To do this, she the restoration material that is best adapted to your child (monomer-CVI or composite glass cement). Both options are also aesthetically designed materials, and have many other valuable qualities outside of their resilience:
Forming better seals against bacteria
Chemical adhesion to tooth structures
Fluoride release
Aesthetics close to that closely match the original tooth tissues
Why do we use dental surgical drapes?
We use special surgical drapes called umbrellas to create an isolated environment during treatment. This is an elastic barrier stretched around the tooth that:
Protects the "open" tooth from saliva and bacteria in the mouth
Prevents the accidental swallowing of instruments
Avoids harm to the tongue and gums
Reduces the perception of bad tastes
Controls humidity so that the restoration material more perfectly adheres to the tooth
How can I protect my child's teeth against cavities?
Along with maintaining exemplary oral hygiene and scheduling regular dental visits, we also offer several treatments, specially designed for children, to protect their teeth from cavities:
