Infiltration Therapy for Minor Tooth Decay

I saw on television that there's a new technique called infiltration therapy for treating minor tooth decay. This technique was invented by German dentists and it is useful for treating early stage of tooth decay.

(Photo by dozenist)

Tooth decay is essentially caused by bacteria that feed on carbohydrates and sugar on your teeth. That is why regular brushing is important especially after meal so that there are no food or bacteria to feed on. Bacteria weakens your enamel (the visible part of a tooth) and creates cavity. Regular visit to the dentist is necessary to detect cavities so that proper treatment can be administered. Usually, treatment requires drilling of your tooth and filling in the hole with restorative material (e.g. amalgam, composite resin, or porcelain)

Tooth drilling is unpleasant to most people. That is why infiltration therapy can be considered a major breakthrough in painless treatment. Before prescribing this therapy, the dentist need to examine the patient and have x-ray taken to ensure the size of decay is suitable for infiltration therapy. Only small cavity should be treated with this technique. A special resin is used to "infiltrate" the small cavity making it impregnable against further bacteria attack. This method strengthen your tooth and reduce the chances of future cavity and the need for painful drilling.