What Happens If You Don’t Treat A Cavity​

In everyday life, hustle and bustle, we often ignore the health concerns of our body, especially when it’s about something inside our mouth.

Dental cavity is a health problem that affects a significant population of America. Does everyone get cavities?

According to the reputable National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR), about 92% of adults aged 20 to 64 in the US have dental cavities, and 26% have untreated dental cavities. 

When millions of Americans live with dental cavities, you may wonder: ”what happens if you don’t treat a cavity​?​” Let’s look into the answer in this blog. But before we do, you must understand:

What Is A Dental Cavity?

Due to the lack of oral hygiene, oral mouth, or frequent acidic food intake, your tooth gets infected with bacteria that produce acid to erode the enamel. 

It results in tooth decay, which helps form a small hole in the tooth known as a cavity. People ignore it since a cavity doesn’t hurt, it’s only a tiny hole that doesn’t bother them initially. 
Leaving a cavity untreated can result in tooth loss. Approximately 120 million Americans are missing at least one tooth, with cavities a major contributing factor. Now, let’s get to the main point: what happens if you don’t treat a cavity​?

What Happens If You Don’t Treat A Cavity​

Any length of time is too long to leave a cavity left untreated. Cavities, also known as caries, result from tooth decay, a process that begins with the accumulation of plaque on the tooth’s surface. Plaque is a sticky film of bacteria that forms on teeth. When you eat or drink foods containing sugars, the bacteria in plaque produce acids that attack tooth enamel. If not removed through proper oral hygiene, this plaque can lead to the formation of a cavity. 

By understanding the progression of a cavity, you can take control of your dental health. A cavity, if left untreated, can progress and penetrate the tooth’s enamel, reaching the dentin and eventually the pulp, the innermost part of the tooth containing nerves and blood vessels. The longer a cavity is left untreated, the deeper it can penetrate the tooth, thus causing more damage and even worse dental problems. But this progression is preventable with early intervention.

But what happens if you don’t go to dentist? A cavity left untreated can grow and spread into deeper layers of the tooth, causing much damage and tooth decay. However, by addressing a cavity early, you can prevent it from reaching these stages. As the cavity grows and reaches the sensitive inner layers of the tooth, you will feel more severe pain and sensitivity. But with early intervention, this can be avoided, providing relief from potential severe pain.

If it involves the pulp, the innermost part of the tooth containing nerves and blood vessels, the infection is caused. When the pulp becomes infected, an abscess of pus is formed, which is very painful. It will start swelling and can spread all over the body when advanced. 
How are cavities fixed? Failure to treat cavities can lead to infections requiring root canals. A root canal is a dental procedure that involves removing the infected pulp from a tooth, cleaning and disinfecting the root canal, and then filling and sealing it. About 15 million root canals are performed annually in the U.S., many due to tooth decay left untreated. In some cases, damage caused by a cavity could extend to the tooth’s root, making it impossible to salvage the tooth, thus compelling its extraction.

Impacts of Cavity Left Untreated in Your Life

The ADA reports that 1 in 5 adults believes that the appearance of their mouth and teeth affects their ability to secure a job, which can be exacerbated by visible decay. A cavity left untreated can lead to abscesses, systemic infections, and even life-threatening conditions. 

Can cavities kill you? A study published in the Journal of Endodontics has brought to light a concerning trend to what happens if you don’t treat a cavity​: hospitalizations for dental infections, especially those involving abscesses, are on the rise. The seriousness of this issue is further highlighted by the fact that more than 8,100 hospitalizations occurred in one year alone, indicating the systemic risks of untreated conditions.

Signs of Dental Cavity

Some signs you may experience during dental cavity:

• Bad breath
• Pain
• Sensitivity
• Holes in teeth
• Bleeding gums
• Pain when biting
• Toothache
• Tooth abscess
• Swollen gums
• Facial swelling
• Stains

Steps to Take to Prevent Dental Cavity

It’s better to take action early than digging into what happens if you don’t treat a cavity​. Dental cavities, while common, are largely preventable. By adopting simple yet effective habits, you can take control of your oral health and avoid the complications of cavity left untreated. 

Here are the straightforward steps to protect your teeth and prevent cavities:

Practice Excellent Oral Hygiene

• Brush Twice Daily: Using fluoride toothpaste and a soft-bristled toothbrush to brush your teeth for two minutes removes plaque, a sticky film caused by bacteria. Fluoride, a natural mineral, helps prevent cavities by making your teeth more resistant to acid attacks from plaque bacteria and sugars in the mouth.
• Floss Daily: Flossing cleans out debris and plaque stuck in areas the toothbrush can’t reach- between your teeth.
• Use Mouthwash: The mouthwash can contain antimicrobial or fluoride, which helps strengthen enamel and kill harmful bacteria.

Consume Less Sugary and Acidic Foods

Sugary and acidic foods feed bacteria in your mouth, producing acids that erode enamel. Limit sodas, candies, and processed snacks. Choose healthier alternatives like fruits, vegetables, and dairy products, which help neutralize acids and strengthen teeth.

Stay Hydrated

Drinking plenty of water not only helps wash away food particles and bacteria but also stimulates saliva production. This natural process cleanses the mouth and neutralizes acids, providing a reassuring defense against cavities.

Use Dental Sealants

Dental sealants are a protective coating put on the chewing surfaces of molars to prevent food and bacteria from settling in grooves. Sealants are beneficial for children, but they can also benefit adults.

Chew Sugar-Free Gum

Chewing sugar-free gum encourages saliva production that helps wash away food particles and neutralize acids. Look for gum containing xylitol, a natural sugar substitute that may help lower the amount of cavity-causing bacteria.

See Your Dentist Often

Regular dental checkups and cleanings, at least twice a year, are a crucial part of cavity prevention. Your dentist can detect early signs of decay, clean areas you might miss, and provide fluoride treatments to strengthen enamel.

Take Healthy Measures for the Prevention of Dental Cavities

Preventive measures against dental cavities are really important to ensure good oral health and avoid serious complications. Oral care negligence can lead to situations where cavities left untreated progress to painful tooth decay, infections, or even tooth loss. It’s not a question any more: will a cavity get worse? It’s a hard truth.

Knowing what happens if you don’t treat a cavity​ underlines the importance of proactive dental habits. You can prevent cavities and protect your overall health by brushing, flossing, limiting sugar, and, most importantly, regular visits to your dentist. 

These visits put you in control of your oral health, saving you time and cost and assuring years of healthy and confident smiles from cavities.

FAQs