A chalky white patch
A dull white area near the gum or around a brace bracket where enamel has lost minerals. No hole yet, and no pain.
Dental condition
Tooth Decay and Cavity Treatment in Dubai
Decay starts as a quiet loss of minerals and only later becomes a hole, then pain. The earlier it is found, the smaller the treatment: sometimes just fluoride, usually a filling, rarely more.
- Tooth-coloured composite fillings
- X-rays to find decay between teeth
- Open daily 10:00–20:00
If a tooth is already painful, mention it when you book.
Quick answer
How is tooth decay treated?
Tooth decay is treated according to its stage. Early decay, seen as a chalky white spot, can often be stopped or reversed with fluoride and fewer sugary snacks. Once a cavity has formed, the decay is removed and the tooth restored with a tooth-coloured filling. Decay that reaches the nerve needs root canal treatment or extraction. At Creative Arts in Dubai, cavities are found by examination and X-rays.
Who treats you here Dr. Duaa Ameen General Dentist · Dr. Julia General Dentist · Dr. Marina Antoniuk Dentist
Every dentist’s licence can be checked on the DHA Sheryan medical directory.
27 yearsIn-house dental laboratory in the same building
Written planItemised treatment plan before you commit
Open daily10:00–20:00, seven days a week
Jumeirah 3614 Jumeira St, Umm Suqeim 1, Dubai
Symptoms
What does tooth decay look and feel like?
Early decay rarely hurts, which is why it is often found at a check-up rather than by the patient.
A brown, grey or black spot or hole
Staining in a groove or a visible hole. Not every dark spot is active decay; see black spot on a tooth.
Sensitivity to sweet or cold
A short twinge with sweet food or cold drinks once decay has passed through the enamel into the dentine underneath.
Food catching or a rough edge
Floss that shreds, or food that keeps lodging between two teeth, can be a sign of a cavity at the contact point.
Stages and treatment
What are the stages of tooth decay, and how is each treated?
Decay moves from the outside of the tooth inwards. Treatment gets larger at each stage, from conservative to complex.
| Stage | What is happening | What you may notice | Usual treatment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. White spot | Acid has drawn minerals out of the enamel surface | A chalky white patch; no pain | Fluoride, cleaning and fewer sugary snacks; monitored at check-ups |
| 2. Enamel cavity | The surface has broken down into a small hole | Often nothing; a dark mark or rough spot | A small tooth-coloured filling; sometimes monitoring if very shallow |
| 3. Dentine decay | Decay spreads faster through the softer layer under the enamel | Sensitivity to sweet or cold, food catching, a visible hole | Composite filling; a crown if too little tooth remains |
| 4. Pulp involvement | Bacteria reach the nerve, which becomes inflamed | Lingering pain with hot or cold, throbbing, night pain | Root canal treatment and usually a crown, or extraction |
| 5. Abscess | Infection spreads beyond the root tip into the bone | Swelling, a gum boil, pain on biting, sometimes fever | Root canal treatment or extraction; antibiotics only if infection is spreading |
The NIDCR (US National Institutes of Health) describes the same sequence: early mineral loss that can be reversed, a cavity once enamel breaks down, and an abscess if the tooth becomes infected.
Causes
What causes cavities?
Bacteria in dental plaque feed on sugars and starches and produce acid. Each time you eat or sip something sugary, the acid draws minerals out of the enamel for a while; saliva and fluoride then help put them back. Decay develops when the losses outpace the repair, so how often you have sugar matters more than how much: sipping a sweet drink through the afternoon is harder on teeth than the same sugar with a meal.
Some places and people are more at risk: the grooves of back teeth, the contact points between teeth, the edges of old fillings and crowns, exposed root surfaces where gums have receded, and teeth around brace brackets. A dry mouth, from medicines or breathing through the mouth, removes some of saliva's protection. Our guide to foods that are bad for teeth covers the dietary side.
Seek prompt dental assessment if…
a tooth aches on its own or wakes you at night, pain with hot or cold lingers, a tooth is tender to bite, you notice a gum boil, or a filling or part of a tooth has broken. The clinic is open daily, 10:00–20:00, with no overnight service. Facial swelling with fever, difficulty breathing or swallowing, swelling spreading towards the eye or neck, uncontrolled bleeding, or a head or face injury needs a hospital emergency department straight away.
Diagnosis
How does a dentist find cavities, including between teeth?
Many cavities are invisible in a mirror. Finding them early is what keeps fillings small.
Clean, dry and look
Teeth are cleaned and dried so early white spots and staining in grooves are visible under good light.
ExaminationGentle check of the surface
Suspicious areas are checked gently; a soft, sticky surface suggests active decay, while a hard, shiny dark spot often means decay that has stopped.
ExaminationBitewing X-rays
Small X-rays of the back teeth show decay between teeth and under old fillings, where it cannot be seen. See dental X-rays.
When neededNerve tests if it hurts
If a tooth is painful, cold and tapping tests show whether the nerve is healthy, which decides between a filling and a root canal.
When neededA written plan
You are shown which teeth need treatment now, which can be monitored, and the options and costs for each.
Before treatment
What not every case needs
Does every cavity need drilling?
Modern decay care aims to keep as much natural tooth as possible.
Often enough
- Fluoride toothpaste, a professionally applied fluoride and fewer sugary snacks for white-spot decay
- Monitoring a hard, dark spot of decay that has stopped, at regular check-ups
- Fissure sealants for deep grooves at risk, particularly in children
- A small filling that removes only the decayed part
Worth knowing
- Not every dark mark is a cavity; stains and old filling edges can look similar
- Not every deep cavity needs a root canal if the nerve tests healthy
- A crown is for teeth with too little structure left, not a routine upgrade from a filling
- Decay rarely stops once it has formed a soft cavity in dentine, so delaying usually means a bigger repair
Prevention
How can you prevent new cavities?
- Brush twice a day with fluoride toothpaste, and spit rather than rinse afterwards so the fluoride stays on the teeth.
- Clean between the teeth daily, where brushing does not reach and many cavities start.
- Keep sugar to mealtimes and avoid sipping sweet or acidic drinks, including juice and sweetened tea or coffee, over long periods.
- Ask about extra protection if you are at higher risk: fluoride treatment or fissure sealants; a Cochrane review linked fluoride varnish with fewer decayed surfaces in children.
- Keep regular check-ups, so decay is found at the white-spot or small-filling stage.
For children, see cavities in baby teeth. If decay has been found, our page on filling cost explains what affects the price of treatment.
Who treats you
Dentists who treat tooth decay at Creative Arts
Dr. Duaa Ameen, Dr. Julia and Dr. Marina Antoniuk diagnose decay, place tooth-coloured fillings and, where decay has reached the nerve, plan the next step.
Sources
Clinical statements on this page are consistent with these independent sources. They describe averages from studies, not a promise for any one patient.
- National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research. Tooth Decay. NIDCR / NIH, n.d..
- Marinho VCC et al.. Fluoride varnishes for preventing dental caries in children and adolescents. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2013.
Patient questions
Frequently asked questions
Can tooth decay be reversed without a filling?
Only at the earliest stage. When decay is still a white spot and the enamel surface has not broken down, fluoride, saliva and fewer sugary snacks can help the enamel regain minerals and stop the decay. Once there is a soft cavity in the dentine, it usually needs to be cleaned out and filled.
How do I know if I have a cavity between my teeth?
Often you cannot tell. Cavities between teeth usually cause no symptoms until they are fairly large, although floss that shreds or food that keeps catching can be clues. Dentists find them with bitewing X-rays, which show the contact points of the back teeth.
What happens if a cavity is left untreated?
It usually grows. Decay spreads faster once it reaches the dentine, and can reach the nerve, causing pain and needing root canal treatment or extraction. It can also weaken the tooth until a wall breaks. Treating a cavity early typically means a smaller filling.
Does a cavity always hurt?
No. Early and moderate decay often causes no pain, which is why it is commonly found at check-ups. Sensitivity to sweet or cold usually starts once decay reaches the dentine, and constant or night-time pain suggests it has reached the nerve. A lack of pain does not mean a tooth is free of decay.
How is tooth decay on front teeth treated?
Decay on front teeth is usually treated with a tooth-coloured composite filling matched to the shade of the tooth, often near the gum line or between the teeth. Very early white-spot decay may be managed with fluoride instead. Larger areas of decay or old discoloured fillings may need a bigger restoration, discussed at the examination.
Can tooth decay spread to other teeth?
Decay does not jump from tooth to tooth like an infection, but the same bacteria, diet and cleaning habits affect neighbouring teeth, and a cavity on one tooth often sits against a contact point on the next. That is why the teeth on either side of a cavity are checked carefully.
Keep exploring
Related treatments
TreatmentDental fillings in DubaiTooth-coloured composite fillings, placed in one visit.CostFilling cost in DubaiWhat sets the price of a filling.ConditionBlack spot on a toothCavity, stain, tartar or old filling edge?ConditionWhite spots on teethEarly decay, fluorosis and marks after braces.GuideSigns you need a root canalWhen decay has reached the nerve.
Visit us
One clinic, in Jumeirah 3 / Umm Suqeim 1
Creative Arts has a single clinic on Jumeira Street (Jumeirah Beach Road). Ask about parking when you book.
- Address614 Jumeira St, Jumeirah 3, Umm Suqeim 1, Dubai
- Opening hoursDaily 10:00–20:00, including Friday and Sunday
- Neighbouring areasJumeirah 1–3, Umm Suqeim 1–3, Al Wasl, Al Safa, Al Manara
Our clinic in Jumeirah Open in Google Maps · Rated 4.8 on Google from 238 patient reviews (October 2026) — read them
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- Address614 Jumeira St, Jumeirah 3, Umm Suqeim 1, Dubai · Our clinic in Jumeirah 3 / Umm Suqeim 1
- Opening hoursClinic open daily, 10:00–20:00
- Phone+971 4 342 4444 · WhatsApp +971 56 677 7537
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