Does black pits and fissures mean tooth decay?

When there are black symptoms in the pits and fissures, it is a sign of tooth caries. There are many reasons for this, which is closely related to poor diet and lack of attention to oral hygiene. For example, eating sweets frequently and eating foods that are too cold or too hot are important causes of tooth caries and need to be treated in time to avoid greater impact on oral health.

Pathogenesis

The pathogenesis of dental caries includes the formation of dental plaque, the metabolism of sugars and acid production by cariogenic bacteria in the dental plaque environment to form polysaccharides, and the acid dissolving the hard tissues of the teeth into holes.

Pathophysiology

When caries occurs in pits and fissures, the damage first occurs on the side walls of the pits and fissures and eventually spreads to the base. The caries lesions develop and deepen along the enamel prism, reaching the dentin, and then spread along the dentin-dentin junction.

Symptoms

The bottom of the pit and fissure is close to the enamel-dentin junction or located in the dentin. Once caries occurs, the destruction can quickly develop deep into the dentin, forming a caries cavity that appears small but is actually deep and large.

Disease hazards

Because the enamel at the bottom of the pits and fissures is thinner than that on the smooth surface, pit and fissure caries can easily and quickly spread to the dentin and even the pulp cavity. Caries can eventually spread to the pulp (dental nerve), causing pulpitis or apical inflammation. If not treated in time, it will lead to tooth loss. The back teeth are responsible for the main chewing function. Once they are lost, the chewing function will be greatly reduced, affecting nutritional intake and growth and development.

Disease treatment

Preventive resin filling: Grind away the carious tissue of the affected tooth, prepare a box-shaped cavity and fill it with light-cured composite resin, clean the tooth surface, and seal the adjacent pits and fissures with pit and fissure sealants. It can not only effectively reduce the incidence of secondary caries, but also retain more tooth tissue than preventive expansion. It is a method for treating early caries in pits and fissures that is more in line with the requirements of conservative cavity preparation in modern tooth restoration.

Disease prevention

The best time to seal pits and fissures is when the teeth are fully erupted and caries has not yet occurred. 1) When children’s teeth erupt and reach the occlusal plane, it is suitable for pit and fissure sealing, usually within 4 years of eruption. 2) Deciduous molars at 3-4 years old, first permanent molars at 6-7 years old, second permanent molars at 11-13 years old, and bicuspids at 9-13 years old.