If you are here to find a solution for “I have a hole in my tooth and it hurts,” you are in the right place. When you have a hole in the tooth, it means that a tooth is affected by cavities.
However, after bacterial infection with cavities, the hole does not appear immediately. Rather it is a process that progresses as long as the degradation process remains untreated.
Tooth decay is one of the most common dental diseases that affects almost everyone at some point over time. It can happen anytime, whether in childhood or as an adult. The symptom of a hole in the tooth is toothache as well as dark discoloration of the teeth.
The most significant factors contributing to tooth decay and thus to the development of a hole in the tooth lie in everyday habits. Therefore, you need to maintain dental hygiene, diet, and consumption of stimulants.
Table of Content
How Does a Cavity Develop in a Tooth?
Within the process of a dental caries infection, tooth substance is broken down due to the settlement of harmful bacteria. Eventually leads to a hole that requires dental treatment.
Before a hole develops, the tooth substance undergoes a demineralization process and loses calcium. It happens due to harmful, acid-forming bacteria, which will lead to a hole in the tooth in the long term. Unless the decalcification is stopped.
The duration of the development of a hole in the tooth cannot be determined exactly in terms of time. It varies individually depending on lifestyle and diet, but it is continuous. So, consumption of sugar-heavy foods and sweet drinks, coffee, tea, and smoking have an accelerating effect.
They affect the course of the development of a hole in the tooth, as they form the ideal breeding ground for bacteria and promote their multiplication.
Causes of a Hole in The Tooth
Since a cavity occurs due to cavities infection of the affected tooth, it is important to know the factors responsible for the development of cavities to prevent the infection of other teeth. Primarily bacteria, one’s dental hygiene at home, and individual eating habits are the main causes of cavities.
Bacteria
Even in a healthy state, the oral cavity is densely populated with many hundreds of species of bacteria. These are irreplaceable for a balanced oral flora. However, among them, some bacteria need sugar for survival.
They absorb sugar from food, break it down, and multiply through it. Later, acids have formed that attack the tooth enamel and start the demineralization process that marks the beginning of cavities.
Dental Hygiene
Those who integrate repeated thorough tooth brushing into their daily routine have no risk actually. They keep down the number of bacteria in the oral cavity that otherwise condense on the tooth surface to form a plaque.
Especially after eating. You might wonder how plaque causes tooth decay. This plaque layer becomes thicker and develops into a breeding ground for the acid-forming bacteria in the long run. Those bacteria are responsible for the development of cavities.
Conversely, if dental hygiene is inadequate, there is a significantly higher risk of seeking medical treatment for dental diseases such as cavities.
Sometimes only brushing the teeth is not advisable. However, this is only true for a short time after acidic foods such as citrus fruits or cola have been consumed. They can roughen the tooth enamel making it more susceptible to decay.
However, after waiting for half an hour, teeth can be brushed normally again.
Sugar
When you say, “I have a hole in my tooth and it hurts,” maybe the sugar is the culprit behind this. People who are used to eating a lot of sweet things are more likely to develop cavities. In particular, commercially available industrial sugar (sucrose) as well as glucose and fructose.
These things provide a breeding ground for cavities-causing bacteria. You can use long-chain sugar such as those found in whole grain products.
Saliva
Sufficient saliva production can compensate for the demineralization of the tooth structure with the minerals it contains. Those who produce enough saliva are also better able to liquefy foods in the mouth, preparing them for the subsequent digestive process.
Oral saliva contains important bacteria with both acid-neutralizing and antibacterial properties. If a small amount of saliva is produced, the likelihood of tooth decay and thus a cavity in the tooth increases.
The un-salivated food residues can settle in the interdental space and on the tooth crown.
Symptoms of a Hole in a Tooth
If you want to know when to see a dentist for tooth decay, the types and symptoms of tooth decay are necessary to know.
In the early stages, tooth decay is manifested by white, chalky spots on the tooth surface that signify tooth demineralization. Over time, the enamel becomes more brittle, and the teeth may gradually become darker in color.
At this point of tooth decay, it is still possible to compensate for the loss of minerals. For example, by brushing teeth thoroughly regularly with fluoride toothpaste.
The most known symptoms that one or more teeth have been affected by decay, and a hole has formed in the tooth:
- Tooth sensitivity to heat and cold
- Teeth are sensitive to sweets and sours
- Toothache
- Bad breath
- Sensitivity to knocking or knocking tooth pain (in case of abscess formation)
I Have a Hole in My Tooth and It Hurts: How to Get Rid of It
When a hole in the tooth manifests itself, usually by toothache, the protective enamel is already in the process of decay. After noticing it, the most important action is to see a dentist as soon as possible to stop the process and have the hole in the tooth treated.
If a hole in the tooth is left untreated, the decomposition of the tooth will continue. As acids attack the dentin, the hole continues to deepen until it eventually reaches the tooth’s nerve. At this point, the tooth is usually completely destroyed.
Cavities at this stage are often accompanied by a stinging toothache, and strong bad breath is not uncommon.
How is Tooth Decay Treated?
The answer depends on some factors. If the dental caries are still in the stage of early tooth decay when examined by a dentist, the body can still compensate for the loss of minerals from the tooth itself.
On the other hand, if there is already a hole in the tooth, professional cavity treatment must begin.
Depending on the location of the damaged tooth and the degree of damage, different dental measures must be taken to stop the infection. Professional help is needed to eliminate the cavities that have developed.
The sequence of cavity treatment:
- Drilling The Tooth
Firstly, drilling on the tooth is essential. However, this is possible with local anesthesia.
So, there is no need to fear pain. The drilling removes harmful bacteria that have settled on the tooth. The dentist then cleans the drilled hole and provides it with a filling, which is finally sealed from the outside.
If a lot of tooth substance has been lost in the course of the cavities attack, it is necessary to reconstruct the tooth shape in the first treatment step. If the caries is located in the immediate vicinity of the tooth nerve, then again, a different therapy is necessary.
This is because it must be protected with a root filling in case of damage to the nerve tissue. For this purpose, the tooth bone is filled with a medical substance that has a substance-forming effect.
After the root filling, the tooth can be provided with the necessary dental filling.
2. Cavities Treatment With A Dental Filling
There are various materials to choose from for the filling of a hole in the tooth caused by cavities. These can differ in terms of the costs covered by statutory health insurance. Materials used for a dental filling are:
- Ceramic
- Plastics/composite
- Metal alloys
- Amalgam
Things to Maintain After the Treatment of a Hole in the Tooth
If the hole in the tooth has been detected and successfully treated with a filling or a crown, there will usually be no more discomfort afterward. However, there is no guarantee that this will be the case, as dental health depends largely on one’s oral hygiene, even after cavities treatment.
If this is not done properly, a new breeding ground for cavities bacteria can form. Therefore, it is recommended to pay attention to thorough dental hygiene. Also, to limit the consumption of-
- Sugary food and beverages.
- Stimulants such as tobacco, coffee, and tea.
This is necessary if a repeated cavities disease of the teeth is to be prevented.
Especially for children, it is usually difficult to change their habits regarding hygiene and preferred food. That is why parents need to keep a closer eye on their children’s routines after cavities treatment.
After all, even with children, regular, thorough hygiene and limited consumption of sweet foods are the foundation of prevention against tooth decay.
How Can You Prevent Cavities?
Wondering about how to prevent tooth decay and holes in teeth? Don’t worry; we are here to help. If you include regular and thorough dental hygiene among your regular habits, you reduce the risk of tooth decay.
Thus, also the development of a cavity. In addition, the progression of cavities can be significantly reduced. Because adequate hygiene deprives the acid-forming bacteria of their habitat.
1.No Food Residue
There should be no food residue to ensure that saliva can also develop its re-mineralizing effect in the oral cavity. Thorough dental hygiene is also necessary for this. In addition, the sugar content in saliva remains low if breaks of several hours are scheduled between meals.
If possible, it is recommended to ensure that no sugary drinks are consumed.
2.Careful Cleaning Is A Must.
Those who integrate thorough dental hygiene into their daily routine reinforce the automated process of the teeth and the oral cavity. It is recommended to brush your teeth thoroughly at least twice a day.
Not too roughly, but with gentle circular movements. A toothbrush without too hard bristles and a fluoride-containing toothpaste without roughening chemical additives are best suited.
3.Floss your teeth once a day.
If you do this, you have done a lot to prevent a cavity in your tooth. Using an alcohol-free mouthwash can also keep the number of harmful bacteria in the mouth low.
Regular professional teeth cleaning at the dentist’s office also helps prevent dental diseases such as tooth decay. Ask your dentist for comprehensive advice on this at any time. He or she will give you lots of useful tips.
Causes and Prevention of Holes on Tooth of the Children
In young children, caries occur mainly on the surrounding gums. From there, then it spreads the bacterial infection to the edge of the tooth. This form of cavities is also known as “teat-bottle cavities.” It is primarily caused by dietary errors such as high-sugar teas, which can cause holes in the teeth in the long term.
In adolescents, caries occur mainly on chewing surfaces. From here, the acid-forming bacteria start the demineralization. This eventually leads to a hole in the tooth. The reasons for this also lie in a diet with too much sugar.
As soon as tooth development begins in children, a routine should be established to clean the teeth regularly. Soft children’s toothbrushes, which can be used to clean the oral cavity without applying strong pressure, are ideal for this purpose.
Once all milk teeth have erupted, brushing twice a day is recommended. In general, the same applies to adult teeth, including regular check-ups at the dentist. It helps to detect cavities early, fill a possible hole in the tooth without complications, and stop the infection.
Final Thoughts
When you realize that you have a hole in your tooth and it hurts, therefore, you are here to find a solution, we must warn you something. This article contains only general information and must not be used for self-diagnosis or self-treatment.
It is never a replacement to visit the doctor. Visiting a doctor in your case is very important. You can only get a general idea of your problem here. Therefore, to solve the problem permanently, specialist opinion is necessary. That is only possible when you see a dentist for this problem.
