⚫ Black or brown spots
Dark spots or lines in the grooves of back teeth. Some are just stains, some are decay. A dentist can tell the difference.
🕳️ Black spot or a hole in your tooth?
Tooth decay or a cavity? Treat it while it’s still small
A black spot, a rough hole your tongue keeps finding, food getting stuck, or a twinge with sweets: these are signs of tooth decay. Most cavities don’t hurt until they’re deep, so the earlier you get it checked, the smaller the treatment.
👨⚕️ Direct access to Dr. Farooq📷 See your tooth on the intraoral camera⭐ 4.8 on Google · 186+ reviews
🔍 Does this sound like you?
Signs of tooth decay
Decay often starts where you can’t see it: in the grooves of back teeth and between teeth. Look out for:
🕳️ A hole or rough edge
A pit your tongue keeps finding, a rough edge, or a piece of tooth breaking off around an old filling.
🍬 Twinge with sweets
A short sharp pain when you eat something sweet, or with cold water or ice cream.
🍖 Food getting stuck
Food keeps catching in the same place between two teeth. Often a sign of a cavity between them.
⚪ Chalky white patches
Dull white spots near the gum line are the very first stage, when decay can still be stopped without a filling.
😮💨 Bad taste or smell
A bad smell from one area that doesn’t go away with brushing, sometimes from food trapped in a cavity.
Illustration: decay spreads inward from the enamel (1–2) through the dentine (3) to the nerve (4), and can lead to an infection at the root tip (5).
📉 How a cavity grows
The stages of tooth decay, and the treatment at each
- White spot (enamel softening). No hole yet. Fluoride, less frequent sugar and good brushing can stop it. No filling needed.
- Enamel cavity. A small hole or dark spot. Usually painless. A small tooth-coloured filling.
- Dentine decay. Decay spreads faster in the softer layer. Sensitivity to sweet and cold starts. A larger filling, sometimes a crown.
- Nerve (pulp) reached. Lingering or throbbing pain, often at night. Root canal treatment and usually a crown.
- Abscess. Infection at the root tip, swelling, a gum boil. Root canal treatment, or removing the tooth if it can’t be saved.
The difference between stage 2 and stage 4 is often just a year or two of waiting. That’s why a painless cavity is worth treating now.
⭐ 4.8 on Google · 186+ reviews
What patients say
★★★★★
“I was very scared… The treatment was painless and felt completely effortless.”
★★★★★
“He explained the procedure clearly and treated me with great care.”
★★★★★
“Wonderful and painless treatment… for my daughter's root canal.”
💬 root canal treatment · 37 reviews💬 painless treatment · 21 reviews💬 smooth procedure · 5 reviews
Short excerpts from public Google reviews, without names. Read all reviews on Google.
🤫 “But it doesn’t hurt”
Why most cavities don’t cause toothache
Enamel has no nerves. Decay can eat through it, and well into the dentine, without any pain at all. By the time a cavity hurts, it’s usually close to the nerve.
So “no pain” doesn’t mean “no problem”. A black spot or a hole that doesn’t hurt is the cheapest and simplest time to fix it.
📷 You’ll see it before we treat it
We show you the tooth on the intraoral camera, and a digital (RVG) X-ray shows decay between teeth and how deep it goes. You decide with the full picture.
🍬 Why teeth decay
What causes cavities
Bacteria in plaque turn sugar into acid, and the acid dissolves the tooth. How often you eat sugar matters more than how much.
🍬 Frequent sugar & snacks
Sweet tea and coffee through the day, biscuits, juices and sticky snacks keep teeth under acid attack for hours.
🦷 Between teeth
Brushing doesn’t reach between teeth. Without floss, decay starts there and only shows on an X-ray.
🔩 Around old fillings
Old fillings and crowns can leak at the edges, and decay starts again underneath.
💧 Less saliva
Saliva protects teeth. Some medicines, mouth breathing and dehydration reduce it.
📏 Receding gums
Exposed roots are softer than enamel and decay quickly near the gum line.
🍼 Bedtime milk & sweets
Milk or juice at bedtime and frequent sweets cause fast decay in milk teeth.
🛠️ How we treat cavities
Keeping as much of your natural tooth as possible
The aim is the smallest treatment that lasts.
🛡️ Stop it without drilling
Fluoride, sealing deep grooves and diet advice can stop a white-spot lesion from becoming a hole.
🦷 Tooth-coloured fillings
The decay is removed under local anaesthetic and the tooth rebuilt with a filling that matches its colour.
👑 Crown
When decay has weakened a large part of the tooth, a crown protects it from cracking. Crowns & cosmetic work
🩺 Root canal treatment
If decay reached the nerve, root canal treatment saves the tooth instead of removing it. Root canal guide
🔩 Removal & replacement
A tooth too broken down to repair is removed gently, and the gap can be filled with an implant or bridge.
📅 Check-ups & cleaning
A check-up every six months catches new cavities early. The Annual Plan includes two cleanings a year.
👨⚕️ Why patients choose Dr. Farooq
Honest advice: only the treatment you need
Not every dark spot needs drilling, and not every cavity needs a root canal. In 26 years on Hutchins Road, Dr. Farooq (BDS, FAGE, with a professional diploma in endodontics) has built his practice on telling patients plainly what their tooth needs, and treating it gently.
You get direct access to Dr. Farooq, see the problem on screen, and get a written plan before any treatment.
More about Dr. FarooqDecay problems we treat
- Black spots on teeth
- Hole in a tooth
- Cavities between teeth
- Decay under old fillings
- Decay near the gum line
- Children’s cavities
- Broken, decayed teeth
- Pain with sweets or cold
📅 Booking is simple
Three steps to your appointment
1💬
Message or call
WhatsApp us what’s bothering you (a photo or old X-ray helps), or call 099455 39225. Calls are answered 9 am–9 pm, every day.
2🗓️
We suggest a time
We’ll offer a slot that suits you (Mon–Sat, 10 am–2 pm or 5 pm–8:30 pm) and tell you if anything is needed beforehand.
3📍
Visit the clinic
Ground Floor, 42 Hutchins Road, Frazer Town / Cooke Town. Bring old X-rays or reports and a list of any medicines you take.
❓ Questions patients ask
Tooth decay & cavity FAQs
What’s the difference between tooth decay and a cavity?
Tooth decay (dental caries) is the process of acid dissolving the tooth. A cavity is the hole that decay leaves behind. Early decay can be stopped before a cavity forms; once there’s a hole, it needs a filling.
Why doesn’t my cavity hurt?
Enamel has no nerves, so decay can grow without pain until it nears the nerve. A painless cavity is the best time to treat it: the filling is smaller and the nerve is still healthy.
Are black spots on teeth always cavities?
No. Tea, coffee, tobacco and some foods stain the grooves of teeth without decay. A dark spot that’s soft, rough or growing is likely decay. We check with the camera and, if needed, an X-ray.
Can a cavity heal on its own?
Only at the earliest white-spot stage, before there’s a hole, with fluoride and less sugar. Once a hole has formed, the tooth can’t grow back, and the cavity will keep growing until it’s filled.
Can a filled tooth get a cavity again?
Yes. Decay can start again at the edge of an old filling or crown, especially if it’s leaking or chipped. Regular check-ups catch this early.
Can tooth decay cause headaches or bad breath?
Deep decay in a back tooth can cause pain that spreads to the head, ear or jaw. Food and bacteria trapped in a cavity can also cause bad breath. Both settle once the tooth is treated.
How long does a filling take? Does it hurt?
A typical filling is done in one visit, usually 30–45 minutes. The area is numbed first, so you feel pressure but not pain. 21 of our Google reviews describe treatment as painless.
Is tooth decay common in children? What should I do?
Yes, and it spreads quickly in milk teeth. Bring your child in at the first dark spot or complaint. Milk teeth hold space for adult teeth, so saving them matters. Avoid milk or juice at bedtime and limit sweets between meals.
Can I get a cavity filled during pregnancy?
Yes. Fillings are safe in pregnancy, and the middle three months are the most comfortable time. Tell us how far along you are.
How much does a cavity filling cost?
It depends on the size and the material. We don’t publish price lists. You’ll get a written quote before treatment, and the consultation is free if you go ahead with treatment.
🕳️ Small cavity, small treatment
Get your cavity checked in Frazer Town
Ground Floor, 42 Hutchins Road, Frazer Town / Cooke Town. Mon–Sat, 10 am–2 pm and 5 pm–8:30 pm. Calls answered 9 am–9 pm.