Exams and Tests

When you visit your dentist for tooth decay, he or she will:

• Ask you questions about your symptoms and past medical and dental problems and care (medical and dental history).
• Look at your teeth using a pointed tool and a small mirror. Your dentist will look for discolored areas and obvious holes in your teeth.
• Take X-rays if he or she thinks you have tooth decay that cannot be seen.

Early detection

Having a dental checkup once or twice a year can help your dentist find tooth decay and other problems before they cause severe problems. If you often have dental problems, your dentist may suggest more frequent visits.

Treatment Overview

Treatment for tooth decay varies according to how severe the decay is.

• Brushing and flossing with fluoride toothpaste and/or receiving fluoride treatments may be enough to reverse early decay, before cavities have formed. For more information, see:

  Dental Care: Brushing and Flossing Your Teeth.

• You need a filling if a cavity has formed. A filling is a material that plugs the cavity hole and restores a tooth to its original shape after your dentist has removed the decay.
• You may need a crown if the decay is severe and your tooth is badly damaged. A crown (often called a cap) is a man-made replacement for all or part of a tooth. Crowns are also used to treat teeth that have broken or decayed so much that a filling will not work.
• You may need a root canal treatment if the pulp of your tooth is infected. A root canal removes the diseased pulp of a tooth.
• You may need your tooth taken out (extraction) if the root of the tooth is severely damaged. You may need to replace the tooth with a bridge or an implant.

If you do not treat tooth decay, your cavities can get worse and you may lose a tooth. If you wait to see your dentist, your tooth repair will probably cost more and take longer.

What to think about

Many people are very nervous before or during a dental visit. This can make going to the dentist a difficult experience. You can take steps to limit your anxiety, such as explaining your fears to the dentist and setting up a system of hand signals. Hand signals let you tell the dentist when something hurts or you want a break, even if you cannot talk.