How can caries be cured?

Introduction

If the dentist wants to heal caries, ideally he must make a correct assessment of the depth of caries and the condition of the affected tooth at an early stage. There are various options available to him for this purpose. Caries detectors, which are liquids that stain carious areas of the tooth, are often used.

X-ray overview pictures (OPGs) or small images of individual teeth (tooth films) allow an exact assessment of the depth of caries, but due to the relatively high radiation exposure, they are only made in special cases. Nevertheless, it would be better to take an X-ray before every attempt to heal caries. Once a “rotten tooth” has been identified as such, further treatment depends on the respective stage of caries development.

Decalcification processes in the area of the tooth enamel are the preliminary stage of a “real caries”. These decalcifications (initial caries) are hardly visible to the layman as small white spots on the tooth surface, but can usually be quickly controlled with fluoride therapy. The patient himself can heal the caries, with the application of special fluoride preparations, which remineralize and harden the enamel.

So the caries healing works comfortably from home. When using toothpastes containing fluoride, it is nevertheless essential to follow the instructions of the dentist (application usually once a week), because an overdose can quickly lead to unsightly fluoride deposits. If a caries reaches not only the enamel but also the underlying dentin (dentine caries), more extensive treatment is necessary.

Fluoridation is no longer sufficient to heal the caries. Under these conditions it is necessary for the dentist to remove the carious areas and a part of the healthy tooth substance. This serves to prevent a possible new caries formation under the later tooth filling.

Therefore, every caries also leads to the loss of healthy tooth substance. The tooth is then covered with filling material. The filling material is selected individually according to the condition of the tooth.