If you know that something is wrong with your smile, it can be obvious that you need to talk to your dentist. What you should also know is that regular dental checkups are important because problems can develop before you know you need treatment. If a cavity is present during your routine exam, your Temecula, CA dentist can warn you about it, then provide the appropriate restorative dental procedure to stop it from growing worse. If a cavity is not caught in time, it will keep doing damage to your tooth structure, which can lead to worrying complications.

How Long Should You Go Between Checkups?

If you are not seeing your dentist on a regular basis, you are more likely to experience oral health complications that can call for advanced restorative dental work. Unless you are following your dentist’s direct instructions by going with a different timeline, you should schedule regular checkups every six months. This provides consistent protection against cavities and gum disease, and also provides regular care for tartar and plaque buildup.

When A Cavity Is Caught During A Routine Visit

If you have a cavity, we can catch it during a routine review, then provide treatment with a dental filling. The filling is necessary because even a small cavity does permanent harm to your tooth structure. With that said, fillings only occupy the space where decay was an issue, and they can avoid detection by imitating surrounding enamel. If you do not receive treatment in time, the problem can call for a more involved approach to care.

Dealing With A Severe Cavity

A cavity will keep growing after it forms, even as you continue to brush and floss. Eventually, that cavity can cause an infection to form as bacteria make their way into your pulp, your tooth’s central chamber. At this stage, you do need more than a dental filling. To deal with this, your dentist will perform root canal therapy before capping your tooth with a custom crown. Crowns require more permanent changes to your tooth structure, but they make it possible for us to protect a vulnerable tooth when a filling is not strong enough to provide the required support.

Schedule Routine Dental Care With Your Temecula, CA Dentist!

At every routine dental exam, you will receive helpful feedback about your oral health, including information about tooth decay! Our Temecula, CA dentist can help you deal with a cavity when one forms. By catching the problem early, we can preserve more of your tooth structure and prevent oral health complications. To learn more, or to reach one of our other locations closer to you, please call us at the following:

Oasis Family Dental in Temecula, CA at (951) 695-2290.

Riverside Dental Group at Magnolia in Riverside, CA at (951) 689-5031.

Dental Associates of Moreno Valley in Moreno Valley, CA at (951) 697-6800.

Riverside Dental Group at Woodcrest in Riverside, CA at (951) 776-9001.

Dental Associates of Riverside in Riverside, CA at (951) 369-1001.

Dental Associates of Corona in Corona, CA at (951) 273-9580.