Deep Cavities

In a comfortable setting, our doctors examine your teeth and recommend the healthiest, least-invasive treatment possible.

Do you suspect you have deep cavities? Your general dentist may have identified one, or perhaps you are experiencing acute tooth pain. Some individuals may be predisposed to cavities and oral inflammation. In these individuals, environmental triggers can turn on inflammatory genes which contribute to disease progression.

Knowledge is power. Our patients can be screened for caries risk using OralDNA salivary diagnostics. Once you understand your starting point, you can plan for your personalized journey towards oral health.

Deep Cavities

Once a typical cavity, which is a spot where there is tooth decay, has progressed to a deeper level of the tooth, you may need an advanced integrative approach to preserve tooth vitality. Depending on the patient and a variety of factors, our doctors will recommend the best treatment for your unique scenario.

To check for, as well as potentially diagnose and treat a deep cavity in your tooth, reach out to our office →

Deep Cavities

FAQs

01. What symptoms are common with deep decay in a tooth?

If your teeth has deep decay inside, you might experience one or more of the following:

  • Pain when you bite down
  • Spontaneous tooth pain without a clear cause
  • Pain from cold or hot beverages and foods
  • Finding food stuck in a hole in your tooth
02. How do dental caries differ from cavities?

The two words actually mean the same thing. “Dental caries” is more commonplace in academic and technical literature in dentistry and endodontics.

03. What if there’s a deep cavity near the nerve?

Integrative Endodontics’ doctors handle every procedure with the utmost care, and naturally, a deep cavity close to the nerve deserves an extra-careful approach. In fact, these are called “deep cavities” because they are encroaching on the health of the pulp.

A deep cavity may require a special dental procedure, beyond a typical cavity filling and different from a root canal therapy. At Integrative Endodontics, we strive to preserve tooth vitality with specialized regenerative procedures. However, sometimes a root canal treatment is required if the decay has progressed too far.

04. How do your endodontists handle a deep dental filling?

When a cavity has progressed into the inner third of the dentin, yet has not reached the severity that requires root canal therapy, the deep cavity is treated with our signature EndOzLase™ procedure.

After an in depth examination and thorough cleaning of the deep internal structure of the tooth, a biocompatible filling is placed to facilitate the regeneration and healing.

At our office, we use a bioceramic material that is antibacterial, biocompatible, and osteoinductive (which means the material can stimulate cells to make bone, as well as hydroxyapatite crystals). We always seek to regenerate tooth structures, including pulp tissue via VPT.

If the deep cavity has infected the nerve and compromised its health, we may recommend Dr. Valerie Kanter’s EndOzLase™ procedure to help you avoid a root canal treatment. At Integrative Endodontics, we find that bacteria have often penetrated the nerve, and thus using EndOzLase™ can help preserve tooth vitality and save the pulp, if used in time.

With EndOzLase™, we use laser, ozone, and biomaterials to thoroughly clean and treat your tooth. With this combination, we seek to strengthen the elimination of harmful bacteria from inside the teeth.