Removal of caries under the crown
Unfortunately, caries cannot be removed under a crown. It is necessary to remove the crown with e.g. a so-called shepherd’s crook. But this is only possible if the crown is cemented, i.e. fixed with phosphate cement.
Crowns that have been inserted with liquid plastic often do not allow this, because they have great adhesive power or they even break when the shepherd’s crook is attached (instrument for hooking under the crown margin). If this method fails, the dentist only has to slit the crown laterally and on the chewing surface and then remove it by bending it open, only then can the caries underneath be removed completely. The crown is destroyed in the process and usually cannot be used after this procedure.
Can caries be removed by brushing?
Unfortunately, it is not possible to get caries free again just by brushing your teeth. The development of caries is a multifactorial process, which means that all factors must come together at the beginning, so that caries can consequently develop. If you change some of these factors, and this includes proper brushing, especially the cleaning of the interdental spaces, you will also prevent the development of caries. However, already existing carious lesions on the teeth are quite capable of infecting the remaining teeth not yet affected, because caries is considered an infectious disease.
Home remedy against caries
There are now more ways to remove caries than just drilling. However, none of these other possibilities are among the so-called home remedies. Because this would, as the name already says, require an application under domestic conditions. Besides drilling, caries can be removed or stopped by laser or infiltration. If, however, the household remedies are conventional, the first step is to excavate (drill out the caries) with a diamond or carbide drill.The latest development is ceramic drills, which work more gently than conventional drills, since this method opens up the pulp space (cavity of the dental nerve) less often and thus ultimately prevents the tooth from dying in advance.
