4 Signs That You Should Visit a Dentist
While it’s recommended that you visit your dentist twice a year, many people don’t quite make it that often. Or, they might not go for years or even at all due to a host of different reasons. And, unfortunately, these people can wait until they have a serious problem so it’s absolutely essential that they visit their dentist. There are countless reasons why you should visit your dentist, but we wanted to call out four specific ones that can point to potentially serious ailments. Check out our list below!
Tooth Pain
Tooth pain is pretty common, but it can make your day-to-day life pretty unbearable. Toothaches or tooth pain occurs when a nerve near the root of your tooth or somewhere surrounding your tooth is irritated. The common causes of this happening is an infection or tooth decay that inflames a part of the tooth called the pulp. The pain most often starts at the root and radiates towards the jaw, sinuses, and ears.
Tooth pain can typically be treated with over-the-counter medication, but severe and long-lasting pain can point to a number of different ailments including dental abscesses or dry socket syndrome, which a dentist will need to treat right away. They will typically need to take a thorough medical history and x-rays in order to diagnose you with a specific ailment and prescribe the necessary treatment. But, no matter what the cause of your tooth pain is, it is still wise to see a doctor in order to relieve it quickly.
Bleeding Gums
Bleeding gums are painful and shocking to look at, but they are also a good indicator that you need to see your dentist right away. The main cause of bleeding gums is inadequate plaque removal. Plaque contains bacteria that attacks the gums, which will eventually inflame them cause them to bleed while you’re brushing or flossing. If your gums consistently bleed during routine brushing and flossing, it may be a sign that you have Gingivitis, the first step of gum disease. At this stage, we recommend going to see your dentist right away because Gingivitis is reversible with dental intervention.
Dry Mouth
Dry mouth is a condition in which your salivary glands don’t make enough saliva to keep your mouth wet. Saliva prevents tooth decay by neutralizing the acids that naturally sit on the teeth after we eat or drink something. Saliva also enhances your ability to taste the food you eat and makes it easier to chew and swallow effectively. In addition, saliva contains essential enzymes that aid in digestion.
So, if you are experiencing dry mouth, even if it’s a side effect to taking a medication, it’s important to go see your dentist so they can make sure that your teeth are still in good shape and to prescribe you with a medication that can restore saliva production.
Spots and Sores
Mouth sores, like canker sores and cold sores, are annoying and painful, but fairly common to get even in a healthy mouth. But, if you get them often, it may be time to visit your dentist. Mouth sores are generally caused by some sort of bacteria or virus and if you get them frequently, it’s important to go see your dentist to talk about changing up your oral home care.
To avoid getting to these symptoms above, we strongly recommend going to see your dentist regularly and keeping up with your at-home care. If you haven’t visited your dentist in a while, we’d love to have you! Contact us today to schedule your next appointment.
