If you’ve ever perused your toothpaste options in the supermarket aisles, you’re familiar with the concept of anti-cavity pastes. Such toothpastes are rich in fluoride, helping you to prevent the formation of dental caries by plugging up the holes that form in your enamel when your oral bacteria secretes acid. It’s a good choice for when you want to keep your teeth healthy. However, if you’ve already developed a cavity, anti-cavity toothpaste is not going to reverse the damage.
Once a cavity begins to form, no amount of fluoride is going to stop it. There is a tiny crack digging deep into your dentin, where bacteria can hide and thrive. At this point, your only solution is to have a dentist drill and sanitize the crack, then plug it with a filling. If you fail to do this, the cavity will only get worse until it penetrates your dentin and infects your pulp, which calls for a root canal.
Should you ever think that you are suffering from a cavity, don’t try to fix your problem with toothpaste. Call our Federal Way dentistry clinic for all your oral care needs.
