What happens if tooth decay is not treated?

Dental caries is very common in our daily life. Not paying attention to personal hygiene and eating sweets frequently may cause dental caries. At this time, you must receive timely and good treatment, such as tooth repair and filling, etc. If you do not pay attention to treatment, it will lead to a decline in chewing function, which will have a greater impact on the gastrointestinal tract, and will also cause greater harm to other teeth. It may even easily lead to some sequelae.

What happens if tooth decay is not treated?

(1) Reduced chewing function

Tooth defects involving multiple deciduous molars can reduce chewing function.

(2) Affects oral health

Food residues are retained in the caries cavities and bacteria gather. If not paid attention to for a long time, it will affect children's oral health and affect caries in permanent teeth.

(3) The permanent tooth germ is affected

Dental caries can affect children's tooth germs, causing their teeth to not develop normally, which may result in insufficient pressure.

(4) Abnormal tooth growth position

The premature loss of deciduous teeth due to caries causes the space between permanent teeth to narrow, and the permanent teeth become abnormally positioned due to insufficient space.

(5) Damage to oral mucosal tissue

The decayed and damaged crowns of deciduous teeth can easily damage the local oral mucosal tissue.

(6) Impact on nutritional intake

Severe caries of deciduous teeth reduces chewing function, affects children's nutritional intake, and affects their growth and development.

What are the sequelae of dental caries?

1. Cause pulpitis and lead to toothache.

When caries destroys the enamel and invades the dentin, the patient will feel tooth pain when encountering cold, hot, sour or sweet stimuli. Clinical examination can show holes formed on the teeth, which are dark brown in color. If not treated at this stage, the caries cavity will gradually deepen, affecting the pulp and causing pulpitis. Spontaneous pain may occur at this time, and it may also cause headaches on the same side, making the patient restless.

2. If pulpitis is not treated in time, it will cause apical periodontitis.

The inflammation continues to develop towards the tooth root, causing apical periodontitis, root swelling and pain, loose teeth, and in severe cases, facial swelling, fever, and limited mouth opening. Bacteria entering the blood may even cause bacteremia and endanger life. If caries in deciduous teeth are not treated in time, it can gradually develop into severe apical periodontitis, which can cause developmental abnormalities. If deciduous teeth are lost prematurely due to caries, it will not only affect the eruption of permanent teeth as scheduled, but will also cause disordered arrangement of permanent teeth and cause jaw deformities.

3. Cause gastrointestinal diseases.

Permanent teeth are lost early due to caries, and a large number of missing teeth will affect the chewing of food, which will inevitably increase the gastrointestinal burden.

4. Cancer.

Severe caries can cause residual crowns and roots to irritate the surrounding soft tissues, leading to ulcers, erosion, and even cancer. It can also become a focus of disease and a base camp for bacteria. Bacterial toxins can reach various parts of the body through the blood.