If you’re feeling a dull pain in your tooth or if it hurts to eat, you might have a cavity. Approximately 26 percent of adults age 20 to 64 have untreated tooth decay. This means you are not alone.

Cavities are very inconvenient, but it’s best if you treat them right away. Together we can prevent a greater amount of long-term damage to your tooth or teeth. It is the SmilesRForever goal to protect your current smile and prevent damage.

Your first line of defense against the existing cavity is a simple filling. If caught early enough, this can be a relatively painless process. We’ll use a laser or drill to remove the surface decay and prepare the surrounding enamel for receipt of the filling. If the cavity is left to progress, more serious measures like a root canal or tooth extraction may be required.

If you avoid treatment to save money or prevent further pain, you’re likely to be disappointed. The longer your cavity goes untreated, the more they will grow and become even more painful. You run the risk of losing your tooth entirely and requiring extra dental work or even tooth replacement in the form of partials, implants, or dentures.

In an ideal world, we start with prevention. SmilesRForever encourages you to practice good hygiene. Brush your teeth for at least two minutes twice a day and don’t forget to floss and use mouthwash to get what the brush may leave behind.

Please let us know right away if you’re experiencing any form of pain in your mouth or with your teeth and we’ll do our best to keep you smiling!