Untreated Cavities: What Can it Mean for Your Teeth and Oral Health?

Finding out that you have a cavity is never an enjoyable trip to the dentist. Whether you were having some pain, or gone for one of your biannual dental cleanings, hearing the words, “you have a cavity,” never brings a smile to anyone’s face.

A cavity: Best treated with a filling

One of the best things that anyone can do for their oral health when they have a cavity is to promptly have it filled. However, people with dental anxiety or that do not have the best dental insurance may be tempted to put off having the filling placed.

Not having a cavity filled will lead to different issues as time goes on.

One of the first issues that will be experienced is that the tooth continues to become more sensitive to hot and cold sensations. All that once enjoyed a hot cup of coffee in the morning, or an ice cold glass of tea in the evening, will realize that they opt for room temperature beverages. The longer that having a filling placed is avoided, the more sensitive the tooth will become.

Untreated cavities lead to sensitivity, swelling, and more significant issues!

Another issue that people will experience is the level of pain will continue to increase. Over time, even if someone is chewing a soft piece of bread or cupcake, the pain will get worse. At the height of pain from a cavity, it can shoot through a person’s mouth to an extent that feels as if all of their teeth are in pain. It simply is not worth letting it get to this level or having the cavity filled.

When a tooth has a cavity, parts of the tooth are slowly beginning to deteriorate. As bacteria begins to form and move down into the tooth it could reach the tooth’s pulp, which can result in swelling. The swelling is caused by the bacteria beginning to grow and will affect the whole of the two, which is the internal part that is directly next to the root.

Do not let a root canal be the breaking point

The longer a person waits to have a cavity filled, the more of a chance there will be of much larger issues arising. Although an increase in tooth sensitivity and swelling alone can be aspects of a miserable day-to-day life, there are worse issues.

When someone puts off having a cavity filled and continues to leave it untreated each day there is more of a chance that the only solution available is to have a root canal procedure.

Although root canals are not as bad as they make them appear on television and movies, the procedure is not fun and can be quite costly. All in all, the best solution is to have a cavity filled, and avoid any unneeded discomfort, pain, and money out of your wallet.

If you think you may have a cavity, or have one that you have put off having treated, give us a call! We are always ready to help answer any additional questions and have a helpful and well-trained staff that can guide you each step of the way.

Request an appointment here: or call Gilroy Dental Associates at (408) 842-2818 for an appointment in our Gilroy office.