It’s clear by now that having a perfect smile has become a necessity. In the past, perfect smiles were commonplace among celebrities and tv representatives. Being on-screen demanded perfect looks. And it wasn’t all just for vanity, there is the psychology behind all of this. We never see businessmen or A-listers with rotten teeth because that would negatively affect their image.
Having a nice smile helps people warm into you and it makes you appear trustworthy and approachable. When people started to realize how much having a nice smile affects your career and social life, it became a trend. And now everyone is getting tweaks for a perfect smile.
If you have rotten teeth and you want to deal with that, continue reading.
What Are Rotten Teeth?
Rotten teeth are a more common term, in the medical sense, it refers to decaying teeth. When your teeth are rotten, it means that cavities have eaten away at your teeth. Usually, decaying is serious once cavities start spreading beyond the enamel. From there, the decay spreads to your root. And that’s when you will likely start to feel symptoms like pain, fever, and inflammation.
But your teeth will typically start to look rotten before the pain kicks in. You’ll notice that the tooth is mostly dark in color. There’s no particular shade, but you’ll have hues of grey and black all over the tooth or in random spots.
Aside from being a health concern, rotten teeth can damage your self-esteem and make you insecure. Which will ultimately take a toll on both your social and professional lives.
What Causes Rotten Teeth?
Rotten teeth happen due to cavities which is a consequence of bacterial growth. When you don’t brush your teeth well, plaque builds up. And in simple terms plaque is a biofilm of bacteria.
And as the bacteria feed on the leftover food it releases acids and other chemicals that eat away at your enamel. If you don’t address the issue immediately, cavities grow deeper.
They will start eating at your connective tissue, nerves, and in general the pulp. Over time, they can also destroy your root until your teeth have to be removed.
The grey and black hues of decay are what give the typical rotten teeth look.
What Happens if I Don’t Treat a Rotten Tooth?
As we explained above, leaving rotten teeth without treatment will make them spread to your pulp and permanently damage your root. But also there are other side effects to rotten teeth. For one, they can give you a foul breath. Bacterial growth releases smelly chemicals that can overpower your breath.
Additionally, you will expect pain when the decaying reaches the nerve. You’ll feel pain when chewing and you’ll also become hypersensitive to cold and hot foods. Gum diseases can also occur as a side effect of decaying teeth and that can cause your general oral health to deteriorate.
Overall, having bad teeth can affect your general physical health.
How to Fix Rotten Teeth
The treatment for rotten teeth isn’t really standard. It all goes down to multiple factors, such as the extent of the decaying and the number of rotten teeth.
1- Root Canal
A root canal isn’t always necessary when treating rotten teeth. Unless, of course, the decaying has reached your nerves. In a root canal treatment, your dentist will target the pulp which contains the nerve, connective tissue, and blood vessels. The first step would be to remove the components of the pulp. In a way, you can consider this as emptying the root. It is always in your best interest to keep the root so you won’t have to get a dental implant. But sometimes, there’s no other option but to extract the entire tooth if the root is rotten beyond repair.
After removing the pulp, your dentist will give the gap a thorough clean before filling it in with a rubber-like substance.
Then, depending on how much pulp your dentist removed and how much tissue you have remaining, your dentist will consider one of the following options.
Rotten Teeth Replacement Options
1- Crowns or Veneers
If you have enough tissue remaining to support a crown or veneer, your dentist will consider those. Crowns alone are very affordable especially if you get the treatment in countries like Turkey where many patients from the USA and the UK come for high-quality yet affordable treatment.
There are many material options for crowns and veneers, such as porcelain, resin, and E-max. Each of these materials has its own pros and cons. Some are more affordable than others whereas others are more durable.
As a general fact, E-max would be a great option for front teeth. Whereas if you’re fixing back rotten teeth, you can consider porcelain following a root canal which is a very durable option.
2- Dental Posts
Dental posts are kind of like dental implants but not exactly. Generally, they’re much thinner and would be suitable if you have remaining tissue that requires just a bit more support. Following the post, your dentist will either add crowns or veneers to complete the look.
3- Dental Implants
Dental implants are only an option when you have extremely rotten teeth that ate away your root. When there’s not much root tissue to recover, well, you’ll have to consider dental implants.
Dental implants are structured that have a titanium root and an abutment to connect the root with the crown. The titanium root will go right where your natural root was. Then your dentist will add the abutment and secure it in place before going in with the crown.
The Takeaway
Although rotten teeth and decay are very common phenomena, you should always address the issue before it’s too late. Typically, early treatment of cavities is simple and will only require minor drilling and filling.
But once the decaying develops, it becomes more complicated to treat the issue. Depending on how deep the decaying is, your doctor will propose the right treatment. Thankfully, modern-day treatments in dentistry target and fix an extensive array of dental problems.
For more information, please contact us.
