What is the difference between radioactive decay and radioactivity?

What to do about deep decay that might need a root canal?

• My best friend has had some issues on his back molar, which has led to some decay. The dentist says that odds are he'll need a root canal (they've even given him literature on it), but they won't know until they get in? How does this work? Does the filling process itself risk causing damage bad enough to need a root canal? And his dentist has gone on holiday, so he has to wait a month to get it done. The dentist says that one month is unlikely to be the difference between needing a root canal and not needing one; he says that it grows slowly and one month isn't a long time. Is this true? I thought that deep decay grows quicker than shallow decay. What can he do? I told him to go to another dentist to get it done asap, but he wants to wait.

• Answer:

  it depends on how far the decay has gone..if it is barely past the enamel then it is not going to make a difference..however, if the decay is deep then it can. if the decay gets into the pulp (nerves and blood vessels inside the tooth) then it can get infected and get much much worse. if he is happy with his dentist then i suggest to wait (if the decay isnt that bad) but if the decay is bad go to another dentist asap.