I have a cavity and can't get to the dentist right away, what can I do to treat the cavity?.?

Question

It doesn't hurt, but I can tell its there.

Answer 1

I've heard--but never tried--that when you're not eating (like when you go to sleep at night), you should flush your mouth with antiseptic mouthwash and gently plug the hole with well-chewed sugarFREE gum.

If it starts to hurt, here's what country folk do to temporarily calm the pain: use a drop or two of clove. Make a paste from the dried spice or properly dilute clove oil.

Answer 2

First, don't wait...go the dentist. The longer you wait, the bigger your cavity will be. Second, DO NOT let them pull your tooth if it can be filled. That's insane. The only people who would do that are people who are so poor they can't even afford food. Or too dumb to know what to spend money on. (Even if you're poor...if there is a dental school in your community, you may be able to get them to do the work for free or very cheap.) Third, there are two ways to treat tooth decay: "silver" fillings or some form of composite "filling." The composite is better for your tooth because less drilling is required. With a composite, the dentist only has to drill away the rotten part, with a "silver filling," the dentist needs to do what is called an "undercut"...they will drill out a larger amount underneath, leaving a lip on tooth on top, that lip of tooth is what holds the silver filling in. Also, it's more attractive with the composite, since it matches your tooth. If you get a composite filling, you should get it from a dentist who does those regularly as they are a bit more technique-sensitive and a dentist who doesn't do them a lot can mess it up easier (basically, the composite is glued into the drilled-out cavity...the composite material and the glue can shrink a little, causing undue stress on your tooth if not done properly. The composite will cost a lot more than the silver filling, but it is worth the investment. Your dentist will give you novocaine (or something else if you're all scaredy cat, need to be knocked out) and it will not hurt at all.

Answer 3

Nothing. Just keep brushing to prevent your teeth from getting more cavity.