{"id":691,"date":"2023-10-13T00:26:00","date_gmt":"2023-10-13T00:26:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.waterburysmiles.com\/blog\/?p=691"},"modified":"2023-11-13T00:29:54","modified_gmt":"2023-11-13T00:29:54","slug":"symptoms-and-treatment-of-tooth-decay","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.waterburysmiles.com\/blog\/2023\/10\/symptoms-and-treatment-of-tooth-decay\/","title":{"rendered":"How Do You Know If You Need a Dental Filling?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-692\" src=\"https:\/\/www.waterburysmiles.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/cavity-2-300x169.jpg\" alt=\"Model showing different stages of tooth decay\" width=\"300\" height=\"169\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.waterburysmiles.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/cavity-2-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.waterburysmiles.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/cavity-2-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.waterburysmiles.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/cavity-2-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.waterburysmiles.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/cavity-2-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.waterburysmiles.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/cavity-2-2048x1152.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/>Your teeth are protected by the hardest substance in your body. Your enamel is the outer layer of a tooth that protects the underlying dentin and pulp. It\u2019s stronger than some metals, but it isn\u2019t any match for cavity-causing bacteria. An acidic plaque created by sugars and starches can erode your enamel until a cavity forms, which will require a filling to treat. How do you know if you need a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.waterburysmiles.com\/general-family-dentistry.html\">filling<\/a>? Here\u2019s how to spot the signs of tooth decay.<\/p>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Common Symptoms of Tooth Decay<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Although cavities can be prevented, 92% of adults have experienced decay. Your dentist can spot early signs of enamel loss during routine dental checkups, allowing them to treat the issue before it turns into a big problem. With no treatment, decay can reach the inner layers of a tooth, which can increase your risk of an infection that will require a root canal to treat.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can avoid the complications of severe decay by getting treatment at the first sign of a cavity, which may include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Tooth Pain: <\/strong>A cavity can cause a tooth to ache or throb. You may have a sudden jolt of pain when biting down on hard or cold foods.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Sensitivity:<\/strong> Cavities can cause tooth sensitivity because the barrier between your dentin and pulp is weakened. You can experience sensitivity to hot, cold, acidic, and spicy foods or drinks. Inhaling cold air can also cause a sudden twinge of pain.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Dark Spot or Hole:<\/strong> As a cavity progresses, a dark spot or hole may appear. You may even feel it when running your tongue over your tooth.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Damaged Filling:<\/strong> If your cavity has been treated previously with a filling, it will need to be replaced, eventually. If your filling is older or falls out, it may be time for a replacement.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Benefit from Tooth-Colored Fillings<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Your dentist will examine your mouth and may review an X-ray to determine if you need a filling. The process of treating your tooth is quick and painless. Your dentist may administer a local numbing agent to prevent any discomfort while decay is removed using special dental instruments. Your tooth will be rinsed and dried before placing a weak acid on it to open the pores in your enamel. Your dentist will use a composite resin material to fill your tooth, which will be shaded to match the color of your enamel to blend in. After the material is molded, your dentist will use a special dental light to harden it in a matter of seconds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Fillings can last for 10 years or more to benefit from long-term protection. If you have symptoms of decay, don\u2019t wait to contact your dentist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>About Dr. Luciano Marini<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.waterburysmiles.com\/dr-luciano-marini.html\">Dr. Marini<\/a> earned his dental degree from the University of Connecticut School of Dental Medicine and has regularly continued his education in all aspects of dentistry, including preventive services. He is a member of many professional organizations, including the American Dental Association. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.waterburysmiles.com\/request-an-appointment.html\">Request an appointment<\/a> through his website or call (203) 575-9097.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Your teeth are protected by the hardest substance in your body. Your enamel is the outer layer of a tooth that protects the underlying dentin and pulp. It\u2019s stronger than some metals, but it isn\u2019t any match for cavity-causing bacteria. An acidic plaque created by sugars and starches can erode your enamel until a cavity [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-691","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v22.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Symptoms and Treatment of Tooth Decay<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"A cavity can cause many symptoms. A dental filling is used to treat early stages of decay to avoid future oral health complications.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.waterburysmiles.com\/blog\/2023\/10\/symptoms-and-treatment-of-tooth-decay\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Symptoms and Treatment of Tooth Decay\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"A cavity can cause many symptoms. A dental filling is used to treat early stages of decay to avoid future oral health complications.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.waterburysmiles.com\/blog\/2023\/10\/symptoms-and-treatment-of-tooth-decay\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Waterbury Smiles Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2023-10-13T00:26:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2023-11-13T00:29:54+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.waterburysmiles.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/cavity-2-300x169.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"drmarini\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"drmarini\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.waterburysmiles.com\/blog\/2023\/10\/symptoms-and-treatment-of-tooth-decay\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.waterburysmiles.com\/blog\/2023\/10\/symptoms-and-treatment-of-tooth-decay\/\",\"name\":\"Symptoms and Treatment of Tooth Decay\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.waterburysmiles.com\/blog\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.waterburysmiles.com\/blog\/2023\/10\/symptoms-and-treatment-of-tooth-decay\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.waterburysmiles.com\/blog\/2023\/10\/symptoms-and-treatment-of-tooth-decay\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.waterburysmiles.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/cavity-2-300x169.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-10-13T00:26:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-11-13T00:29:54+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.waterburysmiles.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/b287573e50720eac1bd63949dd3cca19\"},\"description\":\"A cavity can cause many symptoms. A dental filling is used to treat early stages of decay to avoid future oral health complications.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.waterburysmiles.com\/blog\/2023\/10\/symptoms-and-treatment-of-tooth-decay\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.waterburysmiles.com\/blog\/2023\/10\/symptoms-and-treatment-of-tooth-decay\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.waterburysmiles.com\/blog\/2023\/10\/symptoms-and-treatment-of-tooth-decay\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.waterburysmiles.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/cavity-2-scaled.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.waterburysmiles.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/cavity-2-scaled.jpg\",\"width\":2560,\"height\":1440,\"caption\":\"Model showing different stages of tooth decay\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.waterburysmiles.com\/blog\/2023\/10\/symptoms-and-treatment-of-tooth-decay\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.waterburysmiles.com\/blog\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"How Do You Know If You Need a Dental Filling?\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.waterburysmiles.com\/blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.waterburysmiles.com\/blog\/\",\"name\":\"Waterbury Smiles Blog\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.waterburysmiles.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.waterburysmiles.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/b287573e50720eac1bd63949dd3cca19\",\"name\":\"drmarini\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.waterburysmiles.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/a8ec6ec7d45bd2d92df0aa35e3ed5bde7ce1f82174838f6fa01300ec9ac062fe?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/a8ec6ec7d45bd2d92df0aa35e3ed5bde7ce1f82174838f6fa01300ec9ac062fe?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"drmarini\"},\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.waterburysmiles.com\/blog\/author\/drmarini\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Symptoms and Treatment of Tooth Decay","description":"A cavity can cause many symptoms. A dental filling is used to treat early stages of decay to avoid future oral health complications.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.waterburysmiles.com\/blog\/2023\/10\/symptoms-and-treatment-of-tooth-decay\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Symptoms and Treatment of Tooth Decay","og_description":"A cavity can cause many symptoms. A dental filling is used to treat early stages of decay to avoid future oral health complications.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.waterburysmiles.com\/blog\/2023\/10\/symptoms-and-treatment-of-tooth-decay\/","og_site_name":"Waterbury Smiles Blog","article_published_time":"2023-10-13T00:26:00+00:00","article_modified_time":"2023-11-13T00:29:54+00:00","og_image":[{"url":"https:\/\/www.waterburysmiles.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/cavity-2-300x169.jpg"}],"author":"drmarini","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"drmarini","Est. reading time":"3 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.waterburysmiles.com\/blog\/2023\/10\/symptoms-and-treatment-of-tooth-decay\/","url":"https:\/\/www.waterburysmiles.com\/blog\/2023\/10\/symptoms-and-treatment-of-tooth-decay\/","name":"Symptoms and Treatment of Tooth Decay","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.waterburysmiles.com\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.waterburysmiles.com\/blog\/2023\/10\/symptoms-and-treatment-of-tooth-decay\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.waterburysmiles.com\/blog\/2023\/10\/symptoms-and-treatment-of-tooth-decay\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.waterburysmiles.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/cavity-2-300x169.jpg","datePublished":"2023-10-13T00:26:00+00:00","dateModified":"2023-11-13T00:29:54+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.waterburysmiles.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/b287573e50720eac1bd63949dd3cca19"},"description":"A cavity can cause many symptoms. A dental filling is used to treat early stages of decay to avoid future oral health complications.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.waterburysmiles.com\/blog\/2023\/10\/symptoms-and-treatment-of-tooth-decay\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.waterburysmiles.com\/blog\/2023\/10\/symptoms-and-treatment-of-tooth-decay\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.waterburysmiles.com\/blog\/2023\/10\/symptoms-and-treatment-of-tooth-decay\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.waterburysmiles.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/cavity-2-scaled.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.waterburysmiles.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/cavity-2-scaled.jpg","width":2560,"height":1440,"caption":"Model showing different stages of tooth decay"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.waterburysmiles.com\/blog\/2023\/10\/symptoms-and-treatment-of-tooth-decay\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.waterburysmiles.com\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"How Do You Know If You Need a Dental Filling?"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.waterburysmiles.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.waterburysmiles.com\/blog\/","name":"Waterbury Smiles Blog","description":"","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.waterburysmiles.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.waterburysmiles.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/b287573e50720eac1bd63949dd3cca19","name":"drmarini","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.waterburysmiles.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/a8ec6ec7d45bd2d92df0aa35e3ed5bde7ce1f82174838f6fa01300ec9ac062fe?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/a8ec6ec7d45bd2d92df0aa35e3ed5bde7ce1f82174838f6fa01300ec9ac062fe?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"drmarini"},"url":"https:\/\/www.waterburysmiles.com\/blog\/author\/drmarini\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.waterburysmiles.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/691","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.waterburysmiles.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.waterburysmiles.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.waterburysmiles.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.waterburysmiles.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=691"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.waterburysmiles.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/691\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":693,"href":"https:\/\/www.waterburysmiles.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/691\/revisions\/693"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.waterburysmiles.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=691"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.waterburysmiles.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=691"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.waterburysmiles.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=691"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}