A cavity is a permanently damaged portion of the hard surface of a tooth that develops into a hole with time, hence a "cavity".

When you go to your dentist and a cavity is diagnosed, it may not be an issue that you are aware of. This is why visiting the dentist is important. The dentist can diagnose a cavity when it is small before any symptoms ever develop. This is a perfect time to take care of a cavity because it doesn't allow the cavity to become bigger with time and also results in less tooth structure needing to be removed to fix the problem.

It is much cheaper to place a filling in a tooth with a small cavity versus a tooth with a large cavity. As a cavity becomes bigger it involves more of the tooth structure and leads to increase costs to repair.

So if you're experiencing discomfort with your teeth, or if you are not, the best time to visit your dentist is now! The sooner you visit the better your teeth will be! Give our office a call at 785-274-9917!

Below are two examples of cavities in teeth and how they present as they get bigger, visually and on an x-ray: