Many patients who walk through the doors of dental surgeries do so because they experience pain or some discomfort either during chewing, eating certain foods or exposure to cold.
There are a number of myths that patients believe, which may contain a grain of truth or which may be concocted and taken up.
A number of patients blame the sensation of discomfort or pain, justifying it on the basis of current. They report that ‘the current has pulled’. This is false, as the current cannot cause dental pain. But there may be a grain of truth in the story. We will explain how tooth decay forms and how it becomes symptomatic.
Tooth decay is the cavity produced by the fermentation products of oral micro-organisms. Following ingestion of food, sugars are broken down and will form a substrate for resident bacteria in the oral cavity.
As a result of this process, if the bacterial action is greater than the defensive action of saliva products or cario-protective foods, dental surfaces will show areas of demineralization. These take the form of pale, whitish patches.
At the stage of a white, frizzy, demineralized white spot, fluoride intake can restore the balance of tooth enamel and the tooth can remineralize.
However, when the demineralization process progresses and bacterial attack intensifies, cavities, known as tooth decay, can occur. This process is irreversible and the treatment of choice is to remove the microorganisms, dentin and enamel undermined by the bacterial attack and restore with restorative materials.
In the initial stages, caries is asymptomatic. However, as the caries process progresses towards the pulp chamber, dentin sensitivity develops.
Painful tenderness may initially occur when cold and sweet, as long as the stimulus is acting, and may continue over time after the stimulus has ceased. In cases of severe pulpal damage, the pain is continuous.
The grain of truth in patients’ reports that they feel draughts is that the cold air intensifies the pain felt by the patient.
This is true, because a decayed tooth responds with pain of different intensities when cold air currents are applied to it. But the current has never been and never will be responsible for triggering the caries process.
Tooth pain can occur in any case, whether the tooth is exposed to air currents or not, depending on the body’s defense capacity, the stage of the caries process and the promptness of the intervention. This is why dental disease should be treated early, before the patient becomes in pain. Current does not cause tooth decay, but can exacerbate local pain.
As patients cannot always identify early-stage caries processes, biannual dental check-ups are relevant so that the dentist can detect any lesions in the oral cavity early.
