Hesperian Health Guides
Chapter 10: How to Treat a Cavity
When someone’s tooth hurts, you do not always need to take it out. There may be a way to treat it and keep it. Always ask yourself whether a bad tooth really needs to come out.
This chapter is about treating cavities. Cavities are the holes that tooth decay makes in the teeth.
![a man pointing to his mouth while thinking.](https://pool.hesperian.org/w/images/thumb/9/9f/DENT_Ch10_Page_143-1.png/240px-DENT_Ch10_Page_143-1.png)
Could I do something to save that tooth?
From this chapter, you can learn:
- how to decide which treatment to use for a cavity.
- how to use silver diamine fluoride (SDF).
- how to place a temporary cement filling.
- how to place a permanent filling using Atraumatic Restorative Treatment.
This page was updated:17 May 2024