Are there any ways to reverse tooth decay?

Oct 18, 2025 Source: Cainiu Health

Dr. Liu Chao

Introduction

In general, dental caries may be caused by inadequate oral hygiene, poor dietary habits, early tooth decay, moderate caries, or deep caries. It is recommended to seek timely medical attention, identify the underlying cause, and then improve the condition under a doctor's guidance through general management, medication, or surgical treatment. Daily maintenance of oral hygiene and regular dental check-ups are important for early detection and early treatment of tooth decay.

Generally, tooth decay may be caused by insufficient oral hygiene, poor dietary habits, early carious lesions, moderate caries, or deep caries. It is recommended to seek timely medical attention, identify the underlying cause, and improve the condition under a doctor's guidance through general management, medication, surgical treatment, or other methods. Specific analyses are as follows:

1. Inadequate Oral Hygiene: Incomplete brushing and failure to use dental floss allow food debris and dental plaque to accumulate on tooth surfaces. Bacteria break down these residues and produce acidic substances that erode enamel and lead to cavities. It is important to consistently brush teeth twice daily with fluoride toothpaste for at least three minutes each time, rinse the mouth with water after meals, clean interdental spaces daily with dental floss, and undergo regular dental checkups and professional cleaning.

2. Poor Dietary Habits: Long-term excessive consumption of sweets and sticky foods, combined with delayed oral cleaning after eating, allows sugars in food to be broken down by bacteria into acids, accelerating destruction of tooth structure. Individuals should adjust their diet by reducing intake of sugary and sticky foods, avoiding eating before bedtime, and rinsing or brushing teeth promptly after meals.

3. Early Carious Lesions: This stage involves demineralization of the enamel surface, presenting as white spots without obvious cavitation, indicating early-stage tooth decay. Patients may apply medications such as sodium fluoride glycerin paste, silver nitrate solution, or ammoniated silver nitrate solution to the affected area as directed by a healthcare provider to promote remineralization of enamel.

p>4. Moderate Caries: The decay has reached the superficial dentin, forming a visible cavity. Teeth may experience pain when exposed to hot, cold, sour, or sweet stimuli. Dental fillings are required: the dentist removes decayed tissue from the cavity and fills it with materials such as glass ionomer cement, composite resin, or polycarboxylate zinc cement to restore the tooth’s normal shape and function.

5. Deep Caries: The decay extends close to the pulp chamber, resulting in a deep cavity. Pain from thermal stimuli is significant, and discomfort from food impaction may occur. If the pulp is not infected, an indirect pulp capping procedure can be performed—placing a protective pulp-capping agent at the base of the cavity before filling. If the pulp is already infected, root canal treatment is necessary first to remove the infected pulp, followed by crown restoration to recover chewing function.

Routine attention to oral hygiene and regular dental examinations are essential for early detection and treatment of tooth decay. Avoid using affected teeth to chew hard foods to prevent fractures, and reduce consumption of acidic foods to protect teeth from further erosion.

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What should I do if my tooth has a cavity?

In general, tooth decay refers to dental caries (cavities), which can be treated through daily oral care, fillings, root canal treatment, inlay restoration, tooth extraction, and crown restoration. Strengthening daily oral hygiene is an important measure for the prevention and treatment of dental caries. If you have any questions or discomfort, seek medical attention promptly and follow the dentist's recommendations for treatment.

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What are the different techniques in dental implantology?

Under normal circumstances, oral implant techniques include traditional implant techniques, immediate implant techniques, minimally invasive implant techniques, bone augmentation techniques, and digital implant techniques. It is advisable to ensure that the diet contains sufficient vegetables and fruits, and to avoid excessive intake of high-sugar, high-fat, and processed foods in order to prevent dental caries and tooth decay. At the same time, it is important to brush teeth properly to maintain oral health.

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Can tooth decay cause toothache?

Whether dental caries causes tooth pain depends on the severity of the condition. Mild caries usually does not cause pain, but moderate to severe caries may lead to toothache. To prevent tooth pain caused by caries, it is important to thoroughly brush teeth morning and night using fluoride toothpaste and clean between teeth with dental floss. Additionally, reduce consumption of sweets and carbonated beverages, and rinse your mouth promptly after meals.

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Can teeth cleaning remove black lines caused by tooth decay?

When the black line from tooth decay is a sign of bacterial erosion of dental tissues and cavity formation, the discoloration has already penetrated deep into the enamel and even the dentin. Teeth cleaning primarily removes tartar and dental plaque from the tooth surfaces and gingival crevices, but cannot repair damaged dental structures. Therefore, such black lines cannot be eliminated by teeth cleaning alone; they require professional treatment by a dentist, who will remove the decayed tissue with specialized instruments and then perform restorative filling.