home Drugs Is it worth treating cervical caries? Cervical caries: causes and treatment. Cervical caries: diagnosis

Is it worth treating cervical caries? Cervical caries: causes and treatment. Cervical caries: diagnosis

Cervical dental caries is caused by the activity of the bacteria Streptococcus mutans, so there is no need to talk about any fundamental differences from other types of caries. Visually, the lesion differs only in location and is observed, as a rule, among people over thirty years of age. However, cervical caries of primary teeth also occurs. In children, the disease often develops into circular caries, like a tooth encircling the neck. The disease should not be confused with enamel erosion and wedge-shaped defect.

Why is cervical caries considered the most dangerous?

The enamel in the neck of the tooth is the thinnest and most vulnerable, and the same can be said about dentin. Caries in the cervical region very quickly affects deep tissues.
When teeth are affected by cervical caries, the patient detects the disease only when pain occurs.
Treatment is complicated due to the proximity of the lesion to the gum line (especially molars). The most difficult case is considered to be cervical caries on a wisdom tooth.
It is caries in the cervical area that most often causes complications and is the reason for tooth extraction.

Causes of cervical caries

Insufficient mineralization of enamel. Considering the fact that in the cervical region it is thinner by definition, this factor is one of the determining ones.
Poor hygiene. Plaque and tartar are most often localized on the inside of the teeth in the area of contact with the gum.
Vitamin deficiency and gum disease. In both the first and second cases, deep gum pockets are formed in which food debris accumulates, which is why there is a high concentration of pathogenic bacteria.
Heredity. If one of the parents suffered from cervical or circular caries, then there is a high probability that the child will also develop this disease.

Otherwise, the causes of cervical caries are the same as classical ones. Diet has a great influence: foods high in carbohydrates have a negative impact on dental health, regardless of the quality of hygiene and hereditary predisposition.

Many people confuse cervical caries and wedge-shaped defect. However, these two diseases have completely different natures and are similar only in the affected area.

How to treat cervical caries?

Most patients are interested in the question of how to treat cervical caries, taking into account the characteristics of the disease? Despite the fact that this type of caries is considered the most aggressive and quickly spreading, with timely access to dentistry for the treatment of cervical caries, many unpleasant consequences can be avoided.

Speaking directly about treatment methods, you need to understand at what stage the disease is. Below is a table showing methods of treating cervical caries at different stages of its development.

Stages of cervical caries	Description	Treatment
Initial (in the form of a spot)	A whitish spot forms on the surface of the enamel in the cervical area. Subsequently, the stain becomes more noticeable, the structure of the enamel is disrupted, and pain appears, for example, a reaction to cold and hot.	At this stage, treatment without therapeutic intervention is possible. Fluoridation and remineralization of enamel at the initial stage, as well as the selection of special hygiene products (toothpastes for cervical caries) and diet correction. For superficial lesions of the enamel, it is possible to treat caries without a drill (using Icon technology or using laser therapy).
Average	Caries affects the enamel and dentin, but the pulp and nerve endings are not affected. At this stage, the carious lesion becomes noticeable, and pain increases.	Treatment of the affected area and filling of cervical caries. If a patient is diagnosed with cervical caries of the anterior teeth, after therapeutic treatment, microprosthetics may be required to restore aesthetics.
Heavy	The deep tissues of the tooth are damaged, the patient suffers from severe throbbing pain. Deep cervical caries significantly deforms the cervical area of the tooth.	The nerve is removed and the canals are filled. In case of extensive lesions, it is not always possible to install a stump or crown. Often in advanced stages of cervical caries (especially if it turns into circular) tooth extraction is required.

With therapeutic intervention, pain after treatment of cervical caries can last up to two to three days. If the pain does not go away for a long time or is severe, we advise you to immediately consult a dentist.

Treatment of cervical caries of anterior teeth

Treatment of cervical caries of the anterior teeth includes not only restoration of the anatomical shape of the tooth, but also aesthetics, so it is important to find an experienced specialist who will select the optimal material and color for the filling. The most commonly used are glass ionomer and light fillings, which are quite strong and durable.

Features of treatment of cervical caries at home

It is impossible to cure cervical caries at home when the enamel is already damaged. Conservative treatment is possible at the stain stage, when the doctor prescribes enamel remineralization products and preventive hygiene products that can be used at home. Some experts advise using folk remedies, in particular, rinsing with infusions of sage, lemon balm or propolis. However, such measures are only useful for the prevention of cervical caries and in no case can cure the disease in an advanced state.

How much does it cost to cure dental caries?

The average cost of treatment for cervical caries in Moscow is on average higher than the classical one. Light and glass ionomer fillings cost from 3,000 rubles. If the disease has affected the pulp, then filling the canals is necessary. In this case, the total amount for the treatment of cervical dental caries often exceeds 10,000 rubles.

There is not a single person in the modern world who has not encountered caries. In general, caries is tooth damage. Moreover, caries can occur in different parts of the tooth. This article will discuss one of the types of caries. Cervical caries is damage to the neck of one or more teeth.

First you need to figure out where the neck is.

crown,
neck,
root.

The crown is located under the gum. The root and neck of the tooth are protected by tissue. Hence the name cervical.

Symptoms of the disease

Most often, people begin to see a dentist when they experience severe symptoms, which are listed below.

Pain during various contacts with teeth (brushing, eating, etc.).
Pain in the head.
Strong sensitivity of teeth to temperature changes, especially with cold or hot food.
With severe complications, night pain may occur.
Stains on the affected tooth.

There may be cases when there is simply no pronounced pain. This is explained by the fact that they begin to synthesize reserve dentin, the function of which is protection.

Causes

The causes of any type of caries themselves differ little from each other. Therefore, an unknowing patient can often confuse cervical caries with another type of caries. The reasons why such dental damage develops:

poor or insufficient oral hygiene. When maintaining dental hygiene, it is very important to maintain consistency in this matter;
microbial activity. Due to their metabolic products, teeth begin to be damaged;
nutrition. Incorrect and unbalanced food intake also affects the occurrence of caries. Thus, frequent consumption of carbohydrates and acidic foods increases the risk of the onset of carious processes;
lack of vitamins (in particular B1);
problems with hormones.

Stages of problem development

Each stage is replaced by its own “picture”. Therefore, it is important to distinguish between each of them. The stages are given below.

Spot. May not change for a long time. There is no pain. But there may be a feeling of acidity and viscosity in the mouth, especially when consuming fermented milk and other acidic foods. The enamel becomes thinner and begins to turn matte.
Superficial stage. A feeling of roughness appears when you feel the spot. At this stage, pain already appears because the enamel begins to deteriorate. Eating sour, sweet and spicy foods can also cause pain. There are often cases when this stage occurs without any symptoms.
Average cervical caries. A carious cavity appears and it is impossible not to notice it. There is an increase in pain. Enamel and dentin continue to suffer.
Deep caries. The disease spreads to the nerve nodes that are located deep in the tooth. Increased pain at night.

Many doctors cannot accurately determine the stage of the disease. Because the transitions between each stage are very smooth. A feature of the course is individual development. That is, the manifestation of each stage will occur differently for everyone.

Peculiarities

This severe form of dental damage is characterized by the following signs:

it affects the cervical area of the tooth, as it is poorly protected. This is where inflammation begins;
the distribution is circular. Often inflammation can reach the central part of the crown. In rare cases, the entire tooth and a small radius from it become inflamed;
It can also be on the front teeth. Because of such cervical caries, nervous breakdowns occur (especially often among various speakers and artists).

This disease can lead to the breakage of parts of the tooth.

Diagnosis of carious lesions

It is extremely difficult to determine the onset of caries yourself. It's better to play it safe and go to a dental clinic and get examined. Diagnosis is carried out in several ways:

electrical odontometry;
staining spots (for example, two percent methylene blue);
radiography method and other methods.

But before using one of these methods, the dentist will examine for:

presence of a stain;
enamel condition. If it is destroyed, then this is the second stage. If the initial layers of dentin are also damaged, then the third. If the deep layers of dentin are also destroyed, then the fourth stage.

Treatment

Each disease has its own degree of severity. The more advanced the disease, the more intensive the treatment. Therefore, each stage of caries has its own therapy.

The filling process will be more complicated depending on the location of the caries. If the distant lateral teeth have undergone caries, it will be more difficult to reach them. The pain will also increase.

Video - Treatment of cervical caries

First aid at home

In order for the patient’s pain to subside a little, you can resort to folk remedies. The list is presented in the table.

Means	How to use
	2 tablespoons per half liter of boiled water. You can rinse your mouth up to five times a day.
	Soak cotton wool and apply to the location of pain.
	One glass of boiled water per two tablespoons. It is advisable to rinse three times a day.
	Three tablespoons per glass of boiled water. Rinse as soon as pain occurs.
	Two tablespoons per glass of boiled water. Rinse four times a day.
	Leave for an hour. Use two tablespoons per glass of boiled water. Rinse every time after eating.
	Cut the onion into small pieces. Wrap in gauze napkin. Apply to the painful area until the pain subsides.

Treatment at home

For lovers of self-medication there will now be very good news. If the patient has only the initial stages of caries, then home treatment is allowed. It will be relevant only if the disease is not in its final stages. For treatment, special fluoride and calcium-containing toothpastes, gels, and so on are usually used. This way the enamel will be saturated, especially where the color has already changed. But during treatment you need to know a few points:

It is worth taking into account the individuality of each person. That is, one paste or gel can help one person, but not another;
you need to know that the product that will be chosen must be selected correctly. The success of therapy depends on this. Therefore, responsibility falls only on the patient. No one has any guarantee that the choice will be successful;
Treatment at home can only be done at the very first stage. And, as you know, it is very difficult to determine the stage. It will be especially difficult for an ordinary person who does not have a dental education.

Prevention measures

In any pathological process there is a chain of disease. Therefore, in order to avoid getting sick, it is important to break the chain at only one link. Therefore, the following measures can be used for preventive measures:

reduce the amount of fast carbohydrates you take (sweets, cookies, etc.). This will also have a good effect on your figure. If you can’t adjust your diet, you can eat little. But under no circumstances should you eat such food between main meals;
rinse your mouth after eating;
brush your teeth in the morning and before bed. Particular attention should be paid to the morning. You can’t brush your teeth before breakfast because it puts stress on the enamel. Therefore, you need to clean after breakfast;
As a preventative measure, you can use various dental flosses, since they can penetrate into areas where a toothbrush cannot reach;
eat more solid and rough foods (vegetables and fruits). They promote self-cleaning of the oral cavity.

Any prevention will be better and cheaper than treatment. This principle is used throughout medicine. You should never neglect your oral cavity. This could amount to a tidy sum.

Video - Vitamins and minerals for dental health

There are many types of tooth decay. One of the most unpleasant and difficult to treat is caries of the root part of the tooth. This problem can occur in both adults and young children. It is important to notice the first signs of the disease at an early stage, as this will help facilitate the treatment process in the future.

What is cervical caries?

This type of caries occurs in the root part of the tooth, closer to the gum. The main danger of this type of caries is almost complete asymptomaticity in the early stages. The problem only becomes apparent when a person begins to experience discomfort and pain when in contact with external irritants. In addition, it is important to note that the root layer of enamel is much thinner than on the rest of the tooth surface, and therefore the disease is rapid in nature and has more serious consequences and complications.

Cervical caries in the photo

Deep cervical caries.

Photos before and after treatment of cervical caries.

Causes of root caries

There are many reasons that can provoke the development of root caries. The most common include:

a thinner layer of dentin in a given part of the tooth;
insufficient level of oral hygiene. The fact is that it is very difficult to completely clean the root part of the tooth from plaque using a regular brush and paste, as a result of which deposits begin to accumulate in the cervical area, which is a favorable environment for the development of carious bacteria;
demineralization of enamel. Natural destruction of enamel can occur as a result of a lack of vitamins and microelements, for example, as a result of frequent mono-diet;
formation of gum pockets. Most often, this problem occurs in older people or as a result of some chronic disease;
lack of timely treatment when chalk spots are detected.

Important! If you start treating root caries at an early stage, you can stop the carious process completely and save the tooth. In advanced situations, treatment of this type of caries is one of the most difficult.

Description of cervical caries

Stages of cervical caries

Like any other type of caries, cervical caries goes through four stages in its development. Dentists distinguish the following stages of the development of the disease:

spot stage. In this case, a stain forms in the cervical area of the tooth. At the very beginning it has a white chalky color, but over time, under the influence of bacterial waste products, it acquires a brown and even black tint. There is no pain at this stage even under the influence of external stimuli;
superficial caries. At this stage, a depression forms on the surface of the enamel, appearing in the center of the spot. In addition, the dentist may notice a change in tooth texture in the damaged area. The main symptoms include the appearance of painful sensations that occur upon direct contact with hot or cold food. Also, some patients report pain when brushing their teeth;
average caries. The depression in the enamel becomes even larger; its internal contents are filled with softened dentin. In this case, the median caries does not come into contact with the pulp of the tooth, and therefore the painful sensations are short-lived;
deep caries. The carious cavity becomes quite deep and is surrounded by overhanging edges of the enamel. At this stage, the development of pulpitis is possible. The patient almost constantly feels unpleasant and painful symptoms that arise under the influence of irritants. Often, food debris accumulates in the cavity, which leads to faster progression of the disease and causes quite serious complications.

Treatment of cervical caries

Important! Treatment of cervical caries should be carried out exclusively in a dental clinic under the supervision of a specialist. Home techniques can be used as additional treatment.

The treatment method is selected based on the stage of the disease, the presence of certain complications and the individual characteristics of the patient.

Treatment of caries in the spot stage

The most effective methods of stopping enamel destruction include:

ICON technique - in this case, the porous tooth structure is coated with a special compound that penetrates deeply and fills any changes;
remineralization - coating the tooth with a special agent that saturates the tissue with fluoride. The most popular drugs include Remodent, Gluflutored and Belagel;
coating of enamel with fluorine varnishes.

Icon set.

Treatment of the disease at later stages

If the disease has gone too far and it is no longer possible to stop the carious process without consequences, specialists resort to drilling and filling. The process of applying a filling is carried out in several stages:

Initially, the dentist thoroughly cleans the mouth and teeth from plaque and tartar;
After this, the gums are pushed back. This is a necessary procedure in this case, since it is impossible to get to the root part of the tooth in any other way;
then the carious cavity is cleaned from softened dentin and destroyed tissues, the color of the filling material is selected and the filling itself is applied;
Finally, the sealed surface is polished.

In some cases, the dentist may choose several types of filling material at once. The method of treating front teeth is no different from filling molars, however, in this case, special fillings can be chosen, which later, after grinding, completely merge with the color of the enamel and do not stand out.

How to treat at home

At home, you can stop the development of the disease only in the early stages. To do this, you can use the following methods:

home fluoridation. To do this, you can buy special pastes with a high content of this element. In addition, you can enrich your diet with products containing fluoride;
use of medicinal herbs. Based on medicinal herbs, you can prepare decoctions and infusions that should be used to rinse your mouth after each meal and after brushing your teeth. Herbs that have anti-inflammatory and bactericidal properties include sage, chamomile, Chinese lemongrass and calamus;

In addition to all of the above, it is important to learn the rules of brushing your teeth. If you buy products with medicinal ingredients, remember that their absorption by enamel tissues and gums begins only after 3-5 minutes in the oral cavity. That is why you need to devote at least 5 minutes to oral hygiene in the morning and evening.

What to do if a tooth hurts after treatment of cervical caries

Increased sensitivity and pain after treatment of cervical caries occurs in every third patient. Normally, this condition should go away within 1-2 days. If the pain does not go away, then, most likely, the treatment was carried out with errors. In order to relieve pain, you need to:

take anesthetic drugs. In this case, you can use medications in the form of tablets, gels or ointments;
rinse your mouth with herbal decoctions.

In addition, pain may indicate gum damage during treatment. In this situation, you can use anti-inflammatory drugs. It is important to ensure that the purulent process does not begin.

Possible complications:

poor quality filling;
the onset of a new inflammatory process as a result of insufficient disinfection of the carious cavity;
development of pulpitis.

Elimination of these problems is possible only during dental treatment. That's why experts recommend choosing a dentist more carefully.

The best prevention of dental disease is proper hygiene.

Prevention of cervical caries

Since cervical caries is quite difficult to treat, doctors recommend paying special attention to its prevention. The most effective methods of prevention include:

regular and proper brushing of teeth using preventive and therapeutic toothpastes;
visiting the dentist and having a professional cleaning of the oral cavity at least once every 3 months;
reducing the consumption of sweets;
normalization of nutrition and taking additional vitamin complexes;
giving up bad habits, especially smoking.

How to choose the right toothpaste?

Special pastes that have a preventive and therapeutic effect not only prevent cervical caries, but also reduce the risk of relapse after treatment. There are several types of toothpastes:

pastes with fluoride and calcium - these pastes help strengthen tooth enamel and suppress pathogenic microflora of the oral cavity. Such agents are especially effective in detecting the initial stage of enamel remineralization;
pastes containing antiseptics - the action of these pastes is aimed directly at destroying pathogenic microorganisms that cause carious destruction. The active ingredient can be chlorhexidine or lysomycin or any other substance;
pastes with papain are unique pastes that help fight plaque and tartar, thus not only destroying the breeding ground for bacteria, but also keeping your smile snow-white;
pastes with herbal ingredients - these products are intended to treat and strengthen gums. They reduce the risk of gum pockets, and therefore the risk of cervical caries;
pastes to reduce tooth sensitivity - have the ability to fill the porous structure of the tooth, restoring its resistance to external irritants.

When choosing a suitable paste, it is necessary to take into account the concentration of active ingredients. If you want to purchase a product for a child, remember that it is best to give preference to children's lines.

In addition, you can purchase pastes that combine several active ingredients at once.

Important! The use of whitening pastes at any stage of caries, as well as with increased tooth sensitivity, is unacceptable. The fact is that the abrasive particles contained in their composition thin out tooth enamel, making it even more vulnerable to external negative influences.

Cervical caries is one of the most difficult types of disease to treat. In this case, the disease is easier to prevent than to treat. In order to avoid the problem, you need to follow simple preventive measures and regularly visit the dentist.

Cervical caries is damage to the tooth at its base. This is the most dangerous and complex type of caries today, because it destroys the tooth in the most vulnerable place - at the root, affecting all the canals of the tooth. Most often, this type of caries affects the teeth of people after thirty years of age.

Modern dentistry is very concerned about the causes of this type of caries, because it is always easier to prevent the disease than to treat it.

The main causes are cariogenic microorganisms found in soft plaque and hard tartar.

These microbes convert food debris in the mouth into organic acids, which leach calcium from the enamel, destroying it. These microorganisms can develop into diseases due to insufficient oral hygiene and the anatomical features of the enamel of the tooth neck.

Photo: Cariogenic microorganisms under a microscope

Poor oral hygiene

Cervical caries is located near the gums, on the neck of the tooth.

These places are the most difficult to reach during normal hygiene procedures, so you need to brush your teeth as thoroughly as possible and always twice a day.

Video: oral hygiene

Features of tooth neck enamel

Due to the anatomical features, the enamel of the tooth neck is very thin, so its condition must be closely monitored. If you consult a doctor at the first hint of caries, you can restore the enamel near the neck with the help of revitalization, without resorting to the use of a drill.

Symptoms at different stages

The first symptom of such caries is the darkening of the tooth enamel, followed by the appearance of a white spot on it. This stain begins to change color and deepen, which can ultimately lead to complete tooth loss if left untreated.

The final symptom of cervical caries is the formation of a hole, the so-called “hollow” in the tooth.

It is important to pay attention to symptoms such as discomfort when eating, a painful reaction to hot or cold temperatures, as well as constant aching pain in the tooth.

This type of caries has several stages of development, during which a small spot develops into deep caries, each of which has its own symptoms.

First stage- demineralized small area on the tooth enamel, dullness of the smooth surface of the tooth;
Stage of superficial caries- degeneration of the stain, gradual destruction of tooth enamel, the appearance of a reaction to temperature conditions;
Moderate stage of caries- the appearance of deep tooth damage;
Deep caries- “hollow” reaching the nerve endings of the tooth.

Diagnostics

It is easily diagnosed because carious defects are located on clearly visible parts of the tooth. The patient can even independently notice white chalky spots on the tooth enamel when looking in the mirror.

But sometimes doctors, in addition to a visual examination of the teeth, use special solutions with dyes, which they ask the patient to rinse their mouth with.

The fact is that the dyes included in these solutions cannot penetrate healthy, calcium-rich tooth enamel, but they penetrate well into demineralized, diseased areas of the enamel, because it is porous.

The patient rinses his mouth with clean water, and it becomes clearly visible where the dye has lingered on the teeth. A few hours after the procedure, the teeth acquire their normal color.

Difference from wedge-shaped defect

Another common dental disease is a wedge-shaped defect, which manifests itself as the formation of a V-shaped flaw on the outside of the tooth. The tip of such a “wedge” is directed into the dental cavity.

Most often, wedge-shaped defects affect the teeth that bear the heaviest load during chewing - premolars and canines.

Sometimes patients confuse this defect with cervical caries, because it is also located at the root neck of the tooth, and require dentists to treat it according to the caries.

But this is wrong, since there are differences between these two dental diseases.

In the case of a wedge-shaped defect, the affected surface in the form of a V-shaped depression remains dense and polished, and the color of the tooth enamel does not change;
With caries, the affected surface will be loose, rough and irregular in shape, and have a brown color;
A wedge-shaped defect develops for a very long time, literally years, and cervical caries can destroy a tooth in a few months.

Treatment

It is treated in the same way as ordinary caries; it responds well to standard treatment, but depending on the stage of development of the disease, the stages of treatment differ.

In addition, it is possible to relieve pain using traditional medicine.

Treatment is carried out with the mandatory use of local anesthesia, because the neck of the tooth is a very sensitive area.

This is the main difficulty of treatment - the doctor’s actions must be as precise and confident as possible, so as not to unnecessarily affect the most sensitive areas of the tooth.

How to relieve pain at home

If it is not possible to quickly visit the dentist if pain from cervical caries occurs, folk remedies can help as a temporary measure.

The most popular way to get rid of toothache in alternative medicine is sage infusion, for the preparation of which 2 tablespoons of dry sage are poured into 0.5 liters of boiling water, after which they are infused in a sealed container for 30 minutes. The resulting infusion should be filtered and rinsed in your mouth 4-5 times a day.

A decoction of valerian also has an analgesic effect - pour 20 grams of the root with a glass of boiling water, heat in a water bath for 10 minutes, let cool, strain and rinse your mouth three times a day.

Also, to reduce toothache in folk medicine, lemon balm infusion is used - 4 tablespoons of the raw material are poured with a glass of boiling water, and infused for an hour. You should rinse your mouth with lemon balm after every meal.

An alcohol tincture of propolis gives a good effect - dilute 2 tablespoons of the prepared tincture in a glass of warm boiled water and use for rinsing 3 times a day.

You can apply chopped onion wrapped in gauze to the aching tooth for 5-10 minutes.

However, despite the visible feeling of relief, you need to remember that folk remedies can only relieve pain; they cannot cure caries itself, including cervical caries.

Remineralization in the early stages

At the very early stage, when cervical caries appears as white chalky spots and the top layer of enamel is not destroyed, dentists usually carry out conservative treatment, that is, remineralization.

The essence of this therapy is to saturate tooth enamel deprived of calcium with calcium. To do this, special remineralizing preparations are used that contain highly active calcium and fluorine.

Before applying these drugs to the teeth, soft plaque and hard deposits are removed from them.

Remineralization is carried out in several sessions.

How to treat in later stages

At later stages, the treatment procedure for cervical caries is carried out as follows:

The tooth is cleaned of plaque and tartar, as a rule, this is done using abrasive paste and polishing brushes;
The carious defect is prepared using a drill or more modern methods - laser, scaler, special agent;
The tooth is isolated from saliva and treated with adhesive - this is necessary so that the filling adheres reliably to the tooth tissues;
The defect is filled - the treated carious cavity is filled with filling material, the tooth is given its anatomical shape;
The tooth is ground and sealed using special discs and burs.

Prevention

As with any other type of caries, the prevention of its cervical variety is, first of all, high-quality oral hygiene.

You need to thoroughly brush twice a day not only the teeth themselves, but also the gums adjacent to them, this way the neck of the tooth will also be cleaned. You can reduce the risk of cervical caries by using dental floss after every meal.

Photo: Cleaning spaces between teeth with floss

Since such caries most often occurs in people after thirty, at this age it is necessary to periodically undergo professional teeth cleaning at the dentist.

The most important thing in this case is not to delay visiting the dentist if the first signs of dental health appear. Cervical caries develops faster than all others, and any delay can lead to complete tooth destruction.

Caries is a dental disease that is characterized by the destruction of hard tooth tissues (enamel and dentin). At the initial stage, the disease is asymptomatic, but over time a cavity forms in the dental tissues. This causes severe discomfort, pain and subsequently leads to tooth loss.

Cervical (root) caries is the most dangerous type of caries, which destroys the tooth at its very base. It is localized in the area of the tooth neck (gingival zone). This disease progresses rapidly, affects the root canals and can lead to fracture of the dental crown.

In this regard, cervical caries must be treated immediately. Timely therapy will help prevent tooth loss and the development of serious diseases such as pulpitis, gingivitis, and periodontitis.

Causes of cervical caries

The main cause of the disease is dental plaque, which contains harmful bacteria Streptococcus mutans. Due to poor brushing of teeth, it quickly accumulates on the enamel and in gum pockets. During their life, bacteria release organic acids that wash away calcium from the enamel. The result is the formation of a carious cavity.

Among the main factors contributing to the development of cervical caries are:

Neglect of twice-daily brushing, as well as insufficient removal of soft plaque– movements with the brush should be cleaning – from the gums up, and not rubbing, as many people brush their teeth.
Anatomical features of the enamel near the gums. At the root areas of the teeth, the enamel is very thin, so it is highly susceptible to the harmful effects of cariogenic organisms.
Genetic predisposition to delamination of the gums, it causes the formation of “gum pockets”, where food debris accumulates over time. As a result, cavities appear and caries develops under the gum.
Violation of the secretion of the salivary glands. Saliva in the human body performs a protective function. A decrease in the amount of saliva produced leads to a decrease in the level of protection of teeth from the harmful effects of bacteria living in the oral cavity.
Refusing a preventative visit to the dentist. Most people from time to time require professional hygiene procedures - the removal of hard tartar, which, like soft plaque, is inhabited by cariogenic microorganisms.
Radical caries may indicate endocrine dysfunction(development of diabetes mellitus or dysfunction of the thyroid gland).

Cervical caries is the most dangerous among all types of this disease, because it very quickly damages the roots and canals of the tooth. In patients over 60 years of age, it is damage to the neck of the tooth that becomes the main cause of tooth loss.

Symptoms

The main symptoms of cervical caries are exactly the same as for other types of caries. At the early stage of development of cervical caries, a small light spot appears on the tooth enamel, which darkens over time, becomes deeper, affects the dentin and over time, in the absence of appropriate treatment, leads to complete tooth destruction.

Stages of development of cervical caries:

Spot-like caries. This stage is expressed by the appearance of a small white spot, which can remain unchanged for a long time.
Caries affecting the surface of the tooth. The upper part of the tooth - the enamel - is affected, the person feels cold and hot.
Middle stage caries. Tooth enamel and dentin suffer, and sensitivity to temperature changes appears. The pain disappears quite quickly.
Deep stage caries. This stage of the disease is characterized by deep disruption of the inside of the tooth, located close to the nerves, powerful and unbearable pain, irritation to everything cold and hot.

A special feature of cervical caries is that if it starts, the doctor will have to remove the dental nerve and fill the tooth canals. This is due to the fact that the neck of the tooth is in close proximity to the dental canals, and if caries is not treated in time, it will quickly penetrate deep into the tooth.

Cervical caries: before and after photos

What this type of caries looks like, we offer detailed photos of the tooth for viewing.

Diagnostics

Cervical caries is easily diagnosed, since the affected areas are visible to the naked eye. The patient himself, looking in the mirror, can easily detect white chalky areas at the base of the tooth.

In some cases, dentists use special solutions for an accurate diagnosis and ask the patient to rinse their mouth with them. The essence of the technique lies in the inability of dyes to penetrate healthy enamel, while at the same time, in places of demineralization, the pigment easily penetrates through the porous, damaged surface into dentin. The underlying substance of the tooth easily and quickly takes on the desired color and retains it for several days.

How to treat cervical caries

Depending on the severity and severity of symptoms of cervical caries, a treatment regimen is determined. When caries still looks like white chalky spots and the top layer of enamel is not damaged, conservative treatment is usually carried out, namely remineralization. During remineralization, calcium-deprived tooth enamel is saturated with this mineral using special preparations that also contain other minerals. This procedure strengthens the enamel and prevents caries from developing further.

When a cavity is formed, the treatment process for cervical caries should include the following main stages: local anesthesia, removal of dental plaque, preparation of the defect and treatment of the cavity, application of a therapeutic and insulating lining (in the treatment of medium and deep caries), placement of a light polymerization filling, grinding and polishing of the filling.

Prevention

The best way to prevent the recurrence of cervical caries is to brush your teeth regularly, trying to thoroughly clean them all the way to the neck. In addition, visit the dentist regularly, because if caries is detected at the initial stage, it will be quite possible to get by with simple remineralization.