If you’re looking for a short answer to the title question, it’s “yes.” If you want to understand why dental fillings near you are a critical component of long-term oral health, something that is always “worth it,” we invite you to keep reading. Likewise, if you suspect that you need dental fillings in Roseville, CA, we invite you to call Smile & Shine Dental Practice of Dr. Sidhu for diagnosis and gentle, caring treatment.

Why Are Dental Fillings Necessary?

Dental fillings are used to replace portions of a tooth that have been damaged by decay. The first component of cavity treatment is to remove the decay that has entered the tooth, which eliminates the risk of the cavity growing in size.

It’s a standard assumption to think that the tooth will be restored to its health and functionality once the decay has been removed. While it’s true that small amounts of decay can occasionally be treated with fluoride from a dentist in Roseville and do not require a dental filling, most cavities are not detected until they’ve reached a more advanced stage that requires a filling.

So, what happens if you ignore a cavity? A couple of things. First, because cavities are physical holes in your tooth, bacteria, and acids from saliva, food, and beverages will continue to erode the protective enamel of your tooth. This not only leads to an increase in the size of the holes in the tooth, but it leads to infection. Next, the cavity will grow and become more invasive, eventually affecting the tooth’s interior. Once your cavity has reached this point, it begins to affect not only the core of the tooth but the tooth’s nerves and blood vessels. When a cavity has progressed to this level, patients often experience pain and discomfort and run the risk of the infection spreading to other parts of their bodies, such as:

• Infection of the heart
• Infection of the deep neck tissues
• Infection of the jawbones
• Infection of the muscles in the head and neck

The takeaway is that cavities should never be ignored, especially when they can so easily be treated with a dental filling from our dentist near you.

Additional Reasons to Treat Cavities Early

In addition to the risk of systemic infection from an untreated cavity, patients also run the risk of additional oral health concerns, which are costlier and more invasive to treat than a dental filling. These include three entirely preventable treatments: root canal therapy or tooth extraction and tooth replacement.

Also, there’s concern about the freshness of breath or the aesthetics of a smile. An ignored cavity will cause bad breath and change the color of a decayed tooth from white to grey. Although cavities are more common in children than adults, adults are not immune from succumbing to the same perils that have been mentioned. Even if you try to hide your bad breath with chewing gum, breath mints, or mouthwash, the untreated cavity will grow in size and culminate in more advanced therapy being needed or the health risks previously mentioned.

Small Cavities Often Have No Symptoms

Small cavities can be present in your mouth without any symptoms. That’s one of the many reasons the American Dental Association (ADA) recommends that patients visit their dentist 95661 for annual preventive dentistry. Whether you visit us for your annual exam or twice-yearly dental cleanings, we’ll be able to see small cavities on our digital imaging equipment. As mentioned, small cavities can sometimes be treated with fluoride. Another advantage of detecting and treating them early is that dentists can often treat the cavity with a tooth-colored material instead of metal.

Even if it’s been more than a year since your last dental exam and you believe you are in optimal oral health, there are a few other reasons to get back on track with your preventive dentistry. These include early detection of gum disease and oral cancer.

Visit Us Today

Why not get back on the road to optimum oral health by making an appointment for cavity assessment or other preventive dentistry today?