The diagrams above and below demonstrate the appearance of a tooth with dental caries. In the diagram above, the cavity involves the enamal, and such a carious lesion could be drilled out and a filling placed, a routine procedure in dentistry. In the diagram below, the cavity extends well into the dentin, and such a lesion would require a "root canal" procedure. When decay from any tooth surface is very deep (or traumatic injury fractures the tooth) so that bacteria have access to the pulp, or the remaining tooth material cannot hold a filling after removal of the decayed material, then a "root canal" procedure can be done. In this procecedure, the crown is removed, the root canal drilled out and replaced with inert material to seal it, and an artificial crown placed. If such severe decay is not treated, then the inflamed pulp swells and causes pain that interferes with chewing. Untreated, an abscess can occur. Through most of human history, sepsis from dental problems was a common cause of death. The degree of development of a society can, in large part, be measured by the level of dental care available to its citizens. |
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