Cavity is a hole in the tooth's protective enamel layer. Cavities are the result of tooth decay, process triggered by bacteria in the mouth, sugary food, and a vulnerable tooth surface. The bacteria in your mouth help with digestion by converting a portion of the sugars and carbohydrates you consume into acid. This acid and bacteria can combine with mucus and food particles to form a sticky deposit called dental plaque, which clings to the surfaces of your teeth. If it is not brushed away, the acid in plaque erodes the outer enamel surface of the tooth. These points of erosion are called cavities, or dental caries. In time, the acid can move further into the tooth, invading the interior dentin material, and in severe cases, tunneling through the tooth to the root.

Of course, this process does not happen overnight A cavity takes time to develop. It can take a year or more for a cavity to develop in permanent teeth, or less than a year in primary teeth (children's first set of teeth).

Signs and Symptoms

Pain in a specific tooth a dull ache or shooting stab when the tooth is exposed to hot and cold temperatures and sugary substances

In advanced cases, a dark spot will appear on the tooth (though it may be on a surface that you cannot see)

Conventional Medical Treatment

If you feel pain in a tooth, schedule a visit with your dentist. The dentist physically examines the tooth and may take X-rays before diagnosing a cavity. Standard cavity treatment involves drilling away the decayed portion of the tooth, then plugging the resulting hole with silver amalgam, gold inlay, or tooth-colored plastic resin. This "plug" is known as a filling.

If the cavity is so deep that it has burrowed. into the tooth's root, you must get a root canal. In a root canal, the dentist removes the tooth's nerve and vascular tissue as well as the decayed portion of the tooth. The resulting canal is then sterilized and filled with a dental cement.

Complementary and Alternative Treatments

Nutrition and Supplementation

A healthy diet is very important for building strong teeth. Include calcium-rich foods in your meals, especially broccoli, dark leafy greens, milk, yogurt, sardines and canned salmon (with bones), and sesame seeds. Eat raw fruits and vegetables to keep your saliva from becoming too acidic.

Avoid refined sugars, white flour products, exssive amounts of sweets and carbonated soft drinks (which are high in sugar). Substitute desserts made with fresh fruit or yogurt. Use honey instead of sugar to sweeten desserts and beverages.

Experts recommend the following daily supplements for adults:

calcium (1500 mg)-essential for strong, healthy teeth

magnesium (750 mg)-balances with calcium

vitamin A (5000 IU)-important for tooth formation

vitamin B complex (50 mg)-maintains healthy gums

vitamin D (400 IU)-aids in calcium absorption and helps heal gums

vitamin C (3000 mg)-protects against infection (Do not use in chewable form.)

Aromatherapy

The essential oils of caraway, clove, niaouli, and nutmeg can help quiet the throbbing pain of a toothache caused by cavity. Using the tip of your finger, apply a single drop of one of these essential oils to the gum surrounding the painful tooth. If the oil is irritating to your gum, dilute it with 1 or 2 drops of safflower oil. Use the oil just until you're able to see a dentist for treatment.

Ayurvedic Medidne

Ayurvedic practitioners recommend having cavities treated by a dentist as soon as possible. Until you can see your doctor, however, applying one of the following remedies directly to the affected tooth may bring pain relief: paste or oil made from sesame seeds, or a blend of powdered ginger, ground cardamom, and licorice extract.

Hydrotherapy

Some hydrotherapists suggest using either a hot-water bottle or an ice pack on the jaw near the tooth to lessen pounding dental pain. Others advise using a charcoal compress. To make the compress, simply combine 1 tablespoon of activated powdered charcoal and enough water to make a paste. Apply the mixture to a piece of gauze and place the gauze over the affected tooth. Bite down to hold the compress in place and to allow the charcoal to ooze around the tooth.