Cavities or dental caries are holes in a tooth that are caused by tooth decay. Anyone can get a cavity, but cavities are more common in children than in adults. Cavities can be caused by poor brushing and flossing habits, bacteria in the mouth or sugary foods and drinks. If left untreated, cavities can grow bigger and deeper into the layers of your child's teeth. They can cause infection, toothache or tooth loss. Encouraging good brushing and flossing habits, can help prevent your child from getting cavities.
Causes
Cavities are caused from tooth decay that damages your child's teeth overtime. The decay starts to damage the tooth enamel and damages the inner layers of the tooth. Dental plaque is made up of foot particles, bacteria, acids and saliva that coat your child's teeth. If this plaque is not cleaned off the teeth, it starts to remove minerals in the tooth enamel. The removal of minerals on a tooth causes tiny holes in the enamel. When the enamel is worn, bacteria and acid start to damage the next layer of your child's tooth.
Symptoms
Your child's cavity symptoms will vary depending on where the cavity is located and the severity of it. The beginning stage of a cavity does not have any symptoms. As your child's cavity gets worse, he might have tooth sensitivity, a toothache, sharp pain when he eats something hot or cold, mouth pain or pus around his tooth.
Diagnosis
Your child's dentist can easily diagnose cavities. When the dentist examines your child's mouth and teeth, he will ask if he has any sensitivity or pain. The dentist will use a dental instrument called a probe to check for any soft areas. Your child's dentist might take x-rays of his teeth to check the severity of the decay. There are three types of cavities that your child may be diagnosed with: smooth surface, root, or pit and fissure.
Treatment
Your child's dentist will determine the type of treatment needed based on how severe the cavity is. When the cavity is just starting, your dentist can give your child a fluoride treatment to help restore his tooth enamel. When the cavity has broken through the enamel into the deeper layers, your dentist can place material called filling into the damaged part of the tooth. If your child's cavity has weakened the tooth or caused severe decay, the dentist can place a crown on the tooth's natural crown.
