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Think You Might Have a Cavity? Here's What to Look For
It's sad to imagine that all the sweet treats we love can be a cause of pain and misery through oral problems. Your smile, confidence, and self-esteem could be ruined by poor oral health. Dental health is so important that Americans are spending over 2.75 Billion annually on cosmetic dentistry.
Food particles and saliva build up in the mouth when you eat resulting in bacteria. The bacteria proceed to eat up the hard part of the tooth before spreading to the inner tooth causing small pits of cavities. Cavities are permanently damaged areas in the outer shell of your teeth forming tiny openings or holes. known as the enamel
Common causes of bacteria in your mouth include poor oral hygiene and excessive consumption of sugary acidic drinks and snacks. Cavities and tooth decay are among the world's most common health problems in children, teenagers, and adults. Think you might have a cavity? Here are some cavity symptoms to look out for before coming to the dentist.
Severe Toothache
Experiencing a toothache is an undesirable measure of discomfort that will likely interfere with your daily routine. A toothache can be so painful that it appears to trigger aches in other body parts like headaches.
Sudden pain is the first giveaway of cavities. The toothache worsens when drinking sweet or extreme temperature fluids, either too hot or too cold. Spontaneous pain even after brushing may indicate a cavity.
In extreme cases, this may result in poor feeding causing nutritional complications. Try to relieve toothache by brushing carefully with a fluoride-based toothpaste, gaggle mouthwash, avoid extreme temperature in drinks and use pain-relieving over the counter drugs, as you wait for the dentist appointment. Have painful teeth checked by the dentist immediately to avoid risk factors.
Tooth Sensitivity
Have you ever taken a bite of your favorite ice-cream or sipped hot chocolate and felt a sharp pain that appears to come from the root? This is an indication of sensitivity. Tooth sensitivity results from exposure of the teeth to triggers, especially hot or cold items.
Pressure and discomfort that occurs when biting may be a sign of tooth decay. Tooth discomfort caused by sensitivity causes difficulty in chewing or even pain when breathing cold air. Relieve tooth sensitivity by avoiding triggers such as chewing gum, acidic food and fruits, sugar, and beverages that are too cold or hot.
For infants, avoid bottle-feeding before bed as the food debris get stuck on teeth and gums resulting in plaque that causes cavities. Use toothpaste and dental floss specifically designed to relieve sensitive teeth as you wait to visit the dentist.
Visible Holes in Your Teeth
Tiny holes in your teeth are bad news and strong indicators of cavities. Tooth decay often occurs in the molars and premolars which are hard to reach when brushing. Consider electric toothbrushes to clean up these areas.
The gum or edges of previous fillings are notorious for cavities which show on the surface of the tooth. Visible holes are a clear indication that you need to seek medical help. Pits, when not treated, tend to cause the spread of plaque to the adjacent teeth increasing the spread of tooth decay.
When left untreated they may result in tooth loss. Keep your mouth healthy to prevent decay.
Stained Teeth
Brown, black or white stains, or any discolored spots on the tooth surface indicate cavity symptoms. Teeth may discolor from sipping coffee, eating candy bars, smoking or colored food but signs of cavity start off as chalky white spots that accumulate into black or brown stains from the food we consume.
When you notice the change in color on a specific tooth, this is a clear indication that you have a cavity requiring dental attention. Ensure your mouth is clean by running your tongue over your teeth. Sticky of gritty feeling means there are some food particles.
Grab your brush and paste and clean up until the teeth feel smooth. This way, plaque will have no breeding room.
Pus Around the Infected Areas
Pus is one of the obvious signs of a cavity. It causes one to have a bad taste in the mouth that doesn't fade away even after brushing. Pus means that the tooth and surrounding areas have been severely affected and the body is trying to fight back the bacteria.
Pus often results in a foul smell in the mouth caused by bacteria build up. Teeth or gums with pus end up bleeding. Be careful when brushing your teeth to spot symptoms as soon as they arise.
Report to your health practitioner signs of pus and blood so that a diagnosis is carried out to ascertain the cause of the problem.
Preventing Cavity Symptoms
Prevention is better than cure. Regular dental visits and good brushing and flossing habits are your best protection against cavities and tooth decay. Remember cavities begin as painless and hard to see holes which may only be detected using X-rays.
If you constantly put off visiting your dentist, you may cause irreversible tooth damage. Oral hygiene, brushing for 2 minutes at least twice a day and flossing daily are the best prevention measures to avoid cavities. Replace your toothbrush after every 3 months and choose the correct floss depending on the size of the gap between your teeth as recommended by your dentist.
Observe the temperature of food and drinks that you consume so as to prevent cavity symptoms. Avoid sugary or acidic drinks, foods, and fruits as well. Excessive use of cigarettes and hookah will destroy your teeth in the long run so refrain from using or if not possible, keep them to a minimum.
If you already have tooth decay, it's not the end of the world. Tooth cavities are treatable through fluoride, at the early stages or tooth filling where the dentist drills decayed material and fill up the tooth with gold, silver or resin.
Cavity symptoms should be diagnosed early for easy treatment. Book your next dentist appointment soon. Visit our blog to learn more about how you can improve your oral hygiene.
