Hole in a tooth:
causes & treatment

If there is a hole in the tooth, it means that a tooth has caries. However, the hole does not immediately form after a bacterial infection with caries, rather it is a process that continues as long as the degradation process remains untreated.

Caries is one of the most common dental diseases that affects almost everyone over time, whether as a child or as an adult. Symptoms of a hole in the tooth are toothache and dark discoloration of the teeth.

The most important factors that contribute to tooth decay and thus to the formation of a hole in the tooth are everyday habits: dental hygiene, nutrition and luxury food consumption.

Symptoms of a tooth hole

In the initial stages, tooth decay manifests itself in white, chalk-like spots on the tooth surface – a sign of the demineralization of the tooth. Over time, the enamel becomes brittle and the teeth can gradually become darker.

At this point in caries infection, the loss of minerals can still be compensated for, for example by regularly brushing your teeth with a fluoride-containing toothpaste. The natural saliva in the mouth does the rest, because the minerals it contains ensure the balance of the oral flora and thus also the balance of the hard tooth substance.

However, if the tooth already hurts, possibly even severely, this indicates that the caries process has already progressed so far that a hole has formed. At this point, the tooth has lost so many minerals that the decomposition process must be stopped by dentistry.

These are the most common symptoms that one or more teeth are affected by caries and a hole has appeared in the tooth:

Teeth are increasingly sensitive to heat and cold
Teeth are sensitive to tricks and treats
toothache
halitosis
Knock sensitivity or pain (in the case of abscess formation)

How does a hole appear in the tooth?

During the process of caries infection, the build-up of harmful bacteria breaks down tooth substance and ultimately leads to a hole that needs dental care.

Before a hole is created, the tooth substance is undergoing a demineralization process and losing limescale. This is caused by harmful, acid-forming bacteria, which in the long run lead to a hole in the tooth if the decalcification is not stopped.

The duration of the formation of a hole in the tooth cannot be determined exactly in time, it varies depending on lifestyle and diet, but is continuous. However, consumption of sugar-heavy foods and sweet drinks, lots of coffee, tea and smoking have an accelerating effect on the development of a hole in the tooth, since they form the ideal breeding ground for bacteria and promote their multiplication.

Causes of a hole in the tooth

Since a hole arises due to caries infection of the affected tooth, it is important to know the factors responsible for the development of caries in order to be able to prevent the infection of other teeth.

Primarily bacteria, personal dental hygiene at home and individual eating habits are the main causes of tooth decay.

Causes of a hole in the tooth: keyword bacteria

Even in the healthy state, the mouth is densely populated with many hundreds of types of bacteria, which are irreplaceable for the balanced oral flora. However, there are also bacteria that need sugar to survive, absorb the sugar from food, break it down and multiply through it. Later, acids are created that attack the enamel and start the demineralization process that marks the beginning of caries disease.

Causes of a hole in the tooth: Keyword dental hygiene

Anyone who integrates thorough tooth brushing into their daily routine keeps the number of bacteria in the oral cavity low, which otherwise, especially after eating, build up a deposit on the tooth surface. In the long run, this layer of plaque becomes thicker and develops into a breeding ground for the acid-producing bacteria that are responsible for the development of caries.

Conversely, those who do not perform dental hygiene properly have a significantly higher risk of having dental diseases such as tooth decay medically treated.

Sometimes brushing your teeth is not advisable. However, this only applies for a short time after acidic foods such as citrus or cola have been consumed. You can roughen the enamel making the tooth substance more susceptible to degradation. After waiting half an hour, however, the teeth can be brushed normally again.

Causes of a hole in the tooth: keyword sugar

Those who are used to eating a lot of sweets are more likely to develop caries. Above all the commercial industrial sugar (sucrose) as well as glucose and fructose provide a breeding ground for the bacteria causing caries. Instead of simple sugar, it is therefore recommended to prefer so-called long-chain sugar compounds, such as those found in whole grain products.

Causes of a hole in the tooth: keyword saliva

Sufficient saliva formation is able to compensate for the demineralization of the hard tooth substance with the minerals it contains. If you produce enough saliva, you can also liquefy food in your mouth and prepare it for the subsequent digestive process.

Oral saliva contains important bacteria that are both acid neutralizing and antibacterial. If only a small amount of saliva is formed, the likelihood of tooth decay and thus a hole in the tooth increases. This is also due to the fact that food residues that have not been spewed in can accumulate in the interdental space and on the tooth crown.

A hole in the tooth in children

In young children, tooth decay predominantly occurs on the incisors and the surrounding gums. From there, the bacterial infection can spread to the tooth edge. This form of caries is also known as “baby bottle caries” because it is primarily caused by nutritional errors such as high-sugar teas, which can cause long-term holes in the teeth.

In older children and adolescents, caries occurs mainly on the chewing surfaces, from where the acid-producing bacteria begin the demineralization process of the teeth and can eventually lead to a hole in the tooth. The reasons for this also lie in a diet with too much sugar.

Once teeth develop in children, a routine should be introduced to clean the teeth regularly. Soft toothbrushes are ideal for this, with which the mouth can be cleaned without applying too much pressure. If all milk teeth are broken, brushing the teeth twice a day is recommended. In general, the same applies as for adult teeth, including regular check-ups at the dentist. It helps to detect tooth decay early, to fill a possible hole in the tooth easily and to stop the infection.

What to do if there is a hole in the tooth?

If a hole in the tooth manifests itself, usually through a toothache, the protective tooth enamel is already in a decomposition process: the most important measure after noticing is to see a dentist as soon as possible to stop the process and treat the hole in the tooth allow.

If a hole in the tooth remains untreated, the tooth continues to decompose. When acids attack the dentin, the hole continues to deepen until it eventually reaches the tooth nerve. At this point, the tooth is usually completely destroyed, the caries disease at this stage is often accompanied by a stinging toothache, and even bad breath is not uncommon.

How to treat a hole in the tooth

If tooth decay is still in its early stages, the body can compensate for the mineral loss of the tooth itself. If there is already a hole in the tooth, professional caries treatment must begin.

Depending on the location of the damaged tooth and the degree of damage, different dental measures must be taken to stop the infection and to eliminate the caries that has arisen.

To achieve this, a hole in the tooth is essential. However, this is possible with local anesthesia, so that no pain has to be feared. Drilling removes harmful bacteria that have settled on the tooth. The dentist then cleans the borehole and supplies it with a filling that is then sealed from the outside.

If a lot of tooth substance has been lost in the course of caries, it is necessary to reconstruct the tooth shape in the first treatment step. If the caries is in the immediate vicinity of the tooth nerve, another therapy is necessary. This is because if the nerve tissue is damaged, it must be protected with a root filling. For this, the dentin is filled with a medicinal substance that has a substance-forming effect. After the root filling, the tooth can be provided with the necessary tooth filling.

Caries treatment with one tooth filling

For the filling of a hole in the tooth caused by caries, there are various materials to choose from, which also differ in terms of the costs borne by the statutory health insurance companies. Materials that are used for a tooth filling are, for example:

ceramics
Plastics / composite
metal alloys
amalgam

After treating a hole in the tooth

If the hole in the tooth is recognized and successfully treated with a filling or a crown, there will normally be no further complaints. However, there is no guarantee of this, since dental health depends to a large extent on personal oral hygiene even after caries treatment. If it is carried out inadequately, a new breeding ground for caries bacteria can form. It is therefore recommended to pay attention to thorough dental hygiene and to limit the consumption of foods and beverages containing sugar, as well as luxury foods such as tobacco, coffee and tea, if repeated tooth decay is to be prevented.

It is usually difficult for children in particular to change their habits when it comes to hygiene and preferred eating. This is why it is important that parents keep an eye on their children’s routines after caries treatment. Because even for children, regular thorough hygiene and restricted consumption of desserts form the basis for the prevention of tooth decay.

How to prevent a hole in the tooth

If you have regular and thorough dental hygiene as one of your regular habits, you reduce the risk of tooth decay and thus the formation of a hole. In addition, the course of the disease of caries can be considerably reduced, since the habitat is removed from the acid-producing bacteria by means of adequate hygiene.

So that the saliva can also develop its remineralizing effect in the mouth, no residues of food should accumulate. Thorough dental hygiene is also necessary for this. In addition, the sugar content in the saliva remains low if breaks of several hours are planned between meals and, if possible, no sugary drinks are consumed.

Careful cleaning is a must

Those who integrate thorough dental hygiene into everyday life reinforce the self-regulating process of the teeth and the oral cavity. It is recommended to brush your teeth thoroughly at least twice a day and not to act too roughly, but with gentle circular movements. A toothbrush without too hard bristles and a fluoride toothpaste without roughening chemical additives are best suited.

If you also use dental floss to clean your teeth once a day and possibly also clean the interdental spaces with special brushes, you have done a lot to prevent a hole in your tooth. With an alcohol-free mouthwash, the number of harmful bacteria in the mouth can also be kept low.

Regular professional tooth cleaning in the dental practice also helps to prevent dental diseases such as tooth decay. Get comprehensive advice from your dentist at any time, he will give you many useful tips.

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