Decayed teeth: causes, consequences for the body, what to do with decayed teeth

Tooth decay is fraught with a loss of the aesthetics of a smile. Defects in the dentition are noticeable to the interlocutors, and if the process of necrosis develops rapidly, then the person will have bad breath. But these are not all the unpleasant consequences of the presence of decayed teeth: rotting affects the whole body, as it leads to a decrease in immunity and the spread of infection to other organs and systems.

How and why tooth decay occurs

Various adverse factors constantly influence the condition of the teeth. And if a person does not observe oral hygiene, then their negative impact destroys tooth enamel even faster. Decaying teeth is the decay of hard dental tissues against the background of an inflammatory-purulent processarising from many dental diseases. Among them:

• Caries.
• Periodontal disease.
• Gingivitis.
• Granuloma
• Cysts on the roots.

Caries is a widespread disease in which the integrity of enamel is violated, and then the process of decay begins. At first, the disease leads to a violation of the structure of the enamel layer, and subsequently to its destruction, during which carious holes are formed on the tooth surface. When a hole appears in a tooth, the process of destruction of hard tissues is accelerated, because food that undergoes decay begins to get stuck in it. Following the enamel, dentin begins to rot, after which the pulp is destroyed.

Incisors, fangs and molars can rot not only from the outside, but also from the inside, since the process of suppuration and destruction can spread from the root. The localization of the focus of carious inflammation and the direction of its spread depends on the cause of the development of dental disease. Photo No. 1 shows a molar that has rotted inside, and photo No. 2 shows teeth that rot from the gums - only a dentist can determine what to do in this or that case.

Why do teeth rot in adults?

The development of the carious process and other dental diseases occurs under different circumstances, including:

• Lack of oral hygiene or its complete absence.
• Malnutrition, accompanied by the development of excess or deficiency of trace elements and vitamins in the body.
• Non-observance of the rules of eating: chewing very cold or very hot food, combining hot and cold, crunching very hard foods.
• Violation of metabolic processes in the body.
• Endocrine diseases and temporary hormonal disruptions, due to which the protective properties of saliva are weakened.
• Pathological processes that occur during pregnancy and are associated with the outflow of beneficial substances from the mother's body to the forming tissues of the fetus.
• Weak immune activity.
• Hereditary predisposition and malformation of the dentition.
• The effects of nicotine and alcohol.
• The effect of toxic substances in adverse environmental conditions or harmful working conditions.
• Infectious processes due to injuries.
• The presence of untreated infectious processes in any part of the body.

When visiting a dentist, you can rarely hear why this or that dental disease has developed. Most often, adverse factors act on dental tissues in a complex and for a long time.

Why rot children’s teeth

Teeth decay not only in adults, but also in children. In addition to the described reasons, children's factors are affected by additional factors that often arise due to the fault of parents:

• 

  Photo: decayed deciduous teeth

  Improper nutrition of the mother during pregnancy, which is why the formation of bone and tooth tissue of the fetus is abnormal.

• The action of toxins and drugs that enter the mother’s body when smoking, drinking alcohol or self-medication.
• Prolonged use of pacifiers and bottle nipples.
• Night feeding - at night, food particles are retained in the mouth for a long time and rot due to the vital activity of bacteria.
• Late and improper hygiene of children.
• The use of a large number of sweets, the remains of which create favorable conditions in the mouth for the reproduction of microbes.

Symptoms of tooth decay

A person can learn that his tooth began to rot, too late - when the process of tissue destruction begins to develop in full force and will already cause great harm to dentin and pulp. The main symptoms of the purulent process are as follows:

• The appearance of spots on the top of the crown or in the neck, if the root of the tooth decays. If the tooth rots from the inside (from the root canals), then the initial stages of necrosis can only be detected using x-rays: the visible surface of the crown blackens at later stages of decay.
• Deformation of the tooth surface, the appearance of holes.
• Putrid, rotten odor from decaying tissues, caused by fetid bacteria, which cause the process of decay.
• The appearance of an unusual, unpleasant taste in the mouth due to ingestion of pus from the carious cavity or pulp chamber.
• The appearance and gradual intensification of aching pain.
• Temperature increase.
• The increased accumulation of plaque with pathogenic microflora not only on the dentition, but also on the surface of the tongue or tonsils.

If the tooth rotted under the root, its crown can completely crumble. Against the background of decay of the decayed tooth root, headaches can become more frequent.

What is dangerous rotten teeth, consequences for the body

Many people ignore the process of tooth decay, if it is not accompanied by severe pain. But the consequences of the carious process can be unpredictable and dangerous. In the presence of decayed teeth, the following complications may develop:

• 

  Gum abscess

  Destruction of bone tissue of the musculoskeletal system.

• Endocarditis is an inflammation of the lining of the heart.
• Inflammatory pathology of the kidneys.
• Infections of ENT organs.
• Psychological complexes due to discomfort during communication and dissatisfaction with the appearance of the dentition.
• Purulent-inflammatory diseases in the gums (abscesses, phlegmon) and as a result - the spread of infection throughout the body, leading to general intoxication.

The health of milk teeth strongly affects the state of the primordia. Therefore, if you do nothing when rotting milk tooth tissues, in the future the child may have big problems with the formation of a permanent dentition.

What to do if your teeth rot

Rot inside the tooth is dangerous for the whole organism. Therefore, at the first signs of decaying dental tissues, you should go to the dentist's appointment.

Before first aid is recommended:

• Rinse your mouth with herbal decoction, which has anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial effects. Better take chamomile, sage.
• To rinse the mouth with a pharmacy antiseptic: Chlorhexidine, Miramistin.
• Thoroughly clean the surface of the dentition to prevent the accumulation of soft plaque and its transformation into hard tartar: under its surface, bacteria multiply and spoil the enamel even faster.
• You can’t try to remove pus yourself by picking enamel with a sharp object. Such an action will provoke even greater destruction of damaged tissues.
• On the side of the jaw, where the decayed tooth is located, it is better not to chew anything so that the food does not penetrate into the carious holes.
• After eating, you need to rinse out the leftovers of food pieces with weak saline or boiled water.

Dental treatment

Whether the tooth is subject to treatment depends on the severity of the carious process, therefore, doctors first prescribe x-rays to patients. If the situation is not critical, and the dentist can save the tooth from decay, he carefully cleans it from accumulated deposits (plaque and stone) and proceeds to treatment:

1. Anesthesia is being performed.
2. All areas of enamel affected by the carious process are removed, rotting pulp must also be removed.
3. The tooth cavity is washed by an antiseptic.
4. The integrity of the surface is restored by the filling material. After installing and hardening the filling, the patient must check the bite: if discomfort is felt, the extra layer of filling material must be removed.

Teeth decaying from the gums are treated in the same way, but photopolymer materials are usually used to fill them. They quickly harden, are characterized by increased strength and high aesthetics.

The dentist can prescribe an antibiotic that will prevent the spread of infection throughout the body. With severe pain, an analgesic is prescribed.

There are methods by which it is possible to prevent damage to dental tissues by cariogenic bacteria. In almost all dental clinics, remineralization is carried out - strengthening the enamel structure with special preparations. In the hospital or at home, fluoridation can be carried out - enamel saturation with fluorine.

Do I need to remove rotten teeth

If the tooth root or crown has completely decayed, they cannot be restored. Such a tooth should not be left in the jaw so that its purulent contents do not extend to the surrounding tissue. In the presence of rotting in the root canals, it is not possible to make artificial crowns, since they will not be able to fix on damaged tissues. Therefore, in advanced situations, dentists prescribe the removal of a decayed tooth, and you can not refuse this operation. After removal, a course of antibiotics may be prescribed.

So that the teeth do not rot, you need to regularly monitor their condition. To maintain dental health, you need to adhere to a good nutrition and observe oral hygiene, as well as timely treat any dental and internal diseases. Purulent processes are extremely dangerous, therefore, if the carious process has passed into an advanced stage, you should not refuse to remove a diseased tooth.