Understanding the Five Stages of Tooth Decay

Did you know there are five distinct stages of tooth decay? And, in the first stage of decay, you can actually take steps to reverse the progression of the disease? Indeed, it’s true. In the first stage of decay, whether you’re a child or an adult, the application of fluoride via fluoride treatments, your toothpaste and even the local water supply can stop a cavity from penetrating through the enamel and reaching its second stage. Even the saliva in your mouth and the foods you eat help to re-mineralize a tooth in jeopardy. But that’s just the first stage! What about the rest? Understanding how a cavity progresses can assist you in preventing each successive stage from occurring in you, and your children. There’s always a lot going on in your mouth!

Stage One: White Spots
In stage one, the tooth begins to show signs of strain from the attack of sugars and acids, and white spots will begin to materialize just below the surface of the enamel. These white spots are representative of the demineralization of the tooth and can be easy to miss because they’re likely to occur on your molars. A dental exam, of course, is designed to catch such cavities! Can you see why regular visits to the Hygienist are recommended? As mentioned previously, at this stage, the cavity can be repaired without the need to excavate the tooth. It is much less expensive to fix at this early stage. This is why it is extremely important to see your Hygienist every six months.

Stage Two: Enamel Decay
Stage two marks the beginning of the end for the surface enamel that is being attacked.
Initially, the tooth erodes from the underside outward, so the outer enamel will still be intact for the first half of this second stage. Once the cavity breaks through the surface of the enamel, there is no turning back, and you will need to have the cavity corrected with a
filling. Catching the cavity in Stage One would have completely avoided a filling.

Stage Three: Dentin Decay
If a cavity in your mouth were to progress beyond stage two without you knowing,
you’d tend become aware of it when it started to hit stage three because it would probably
start to cause some pain. At this level, the cavity begins to eat away at the second level of
tooth material that lies beneath the enamel: the dentin. A filling can still be used to stop the onslaught of bacteria assaulting the tooth in order to prevent the cavity from reaching the tooth’s most critical component: the pulp.

Stage Four: Involvement of The Pulp
Once the cavity reaches the pulp, it’s going to hurt. A lot. So if you’ve unfortunately missed all the signs to this point, the throbbing pain will let you know there is a big problem. Stage four is serious, and a root canal is the only option of treatment at this stage, save for a complete extraction. This is the stage where the pain starts getting severe, and you are wishing you had seen your dentist sooner.

Stage Five: Abscess Formation
In the fifth and final stage of a cavity, the infection has reached the tip of the root and exited the tip of the tooth’s structure. This in turn infects the surrounding tissues and possibly the bone structure. Swelling would be commonplace and pain severe. In children (as well as adults) an abscess can be fatal if not dealt with immediately. Root canal or extraction would be the order of the day, should decay reach this stage. This is the stage where the pain is abosolutely unbearable, and you are wishing you were dead. Nobody wants to end up at Stage Five.

If you have not seen your Hygienist within the last
six months, now is the time to call (903)465-4055 and make an appointment for you and your family with Jodi, or Jamye.

As you can see, cavities don’t happen overnight. In the early stages, regular visits can stall and reverse the progression of these dastardly little devils, so it really does pay to visit the dentist, at least, every six months. You can keep yourself, and your family far from stage five, and all of that pain, for a lifetime.