In anatomical and topographic terms tooth consists in the coronal part, which directly participate in mastication, radicular part which serves to support the tooth in the bone, and cervical part of the tooth, that binds the coronal part with the radicular part. Cavities that are formed in the cervical portion of the crown near the gums, on buccal and lingual faces affects the cervical portion of the tooth, are named cervical decays.
Development of cervical decays is caused by poor oral hygiene, whereas the main cause leading to their appearance is the plaque stored at the gumline in the cervical third. Cementum has low hardness and higher permeability than other hard tissues and causes an accelerated penetration of bacteria to root dentin, causing necrotic and inflammatory phenomena.
Other factors favoring the package cavities are dental plaque and an ineffective or aggressive brushing technique.
Treatment plan for cervical cavities
The treatment is done under isolation, being recommended the implementation of a retractor wire, by removing irreversibly altered enamel and dentin and their replacement with esthetic restorative materials. Treatment of these lesions is more difficult because of their positioning and presence of saliva makes it difficult to achieve good insulation. Typically, one session is enough to treat cervical cavities. It is important to note their appearance from time, periodically visits at the dentist (every 6 months) helping to surprise caries process at an early stage, leading to a favorable therapeutic outcome.
How to recognize cervical decays?
There are few clues that highlight the presence of cervical cavities: inflammation or retraction of the gum, the presence of brown spots located in the third cervical, local hypersensitivity and pain while brushing or during consumption of sweet and cold foods. When one of these signs is present, the visit to the dentist is the first thing to do! Sometimes cervical cavities can be located under a deposit of tartar or under the edges of dentures (called marginal secondary caries), making them more difficult to detect. Radiographic they are easily recognizable by the dentist.
How to prevent cervical cavities?
The means of preventing cervical cavities are usually the same as other types of carious processes:
Brushing is performed every time after eating, or minimum twice a day, morning and evening, being careful not to neglect some tooth surfaces without making aggressive moves to injure gums and to inflame them. There is no indication of horizontal brushing using rear-end movements, it favors the accumulation of food debris between teeth and do not remove plaque from the sulcus.
Using dental floss before brushing it can remove food debris from interdental spaces where retention does not allow optimal access for the toothbrush. After each brushing it is recommended to use mouthwashes with fluoride.
Daily consumption of carbohydrates, soft drinks, sweets, sticky foods should be controlled – is not necessarily important the amount consumed as their frequency is. Regular dental checks are recommended to be done every 6 months, if there is no problem
