Because tooth decay does not often present any major signs until it is in its advanced stages, getting a regular check up from a good dentist is simply a must for anyone who cares about their health. If tooth decay can be caught in its early stages, then there is often a much better and more effective treatment for this condition.
To help prevent tooth decay and other related conditions, adults over 18 should have a check-up at least once every two years, with children and people under 18 needing to see a dentist once every year. By going to a dentist regularly you can help to prevent many of the major conditions than can affect your mouth, teeth and gums from becoming serious.
Below, we take a look at the signs of tooth decay which if spotted, should always result in a visit to the dentist to try and put together a plan of action to deal with the issue.
Toothache – Although toothache can be sign of many other tooth and mouth related issues, tooth decay is one of them and this can often be one of the biggest signs that tooth decay is starting to take hold in your mouth. As with many things, tooth ache can be a symptom of other issues, but if you do get a constant tooth ache that fails to go away then you should really get this checked out.
Bad / Nasty Breath – Because tooth decay is basically the teeth rotting away and dying, you can imagine that the smell this will leave will not be very nice, which is why bad or nasty smelling breath is another sign that tooth decay could well be occurring inside your mouth.
Sensitive Mouth / Teeth – Tooth decay can often lead to a change in the sensitivity of your teeth, because the main tooth is decaying and is showing more of the nerve ending which is why you can start to feel more pain than normal. If you notice more pain when eating food or drinking drinks, then this is something you need to get checked out by a dentist.
Change Of Colour On Teeth – If your teeth start showing grey, black or brown spots, then this is another common sign that you might have tooth decay and that you need to hotfoot it over to a dentist. Any colouration change in your teeth can be looked at, but the majority of the time this has nothing to do with tooth decay and is often just stains from things like coffee.
Nasty Taste – Following on from the bad breath point above, if you have something decaying in your mouth then this is obviously going to leave a really nasty taste, which can often be much worse in the morning after you have woken up from a night’s sleep. Although this can just be down to basic hygiene, it is yet another indicator of tooth decay so should be taken seriously if it continues to occur.
There are many things that you can do to prevent tooth decay from getting to the stage where you can not treat it and these include:
- Regular brushing / cleaning of your teeth
- Regular dentist check ups
- Use mouthwash
- Avoid sugary drinks
- Avoid eating junk food
Tooth decay is something that can be prevented as long as you do the correct things, which in most cases is just basic common sense and ongoing care of your teeth. If you take care of your teeth and get regular checkups at a good dentist then you can avoid getting really bad tooth decay which can see you losing your teeth if it gets to the advanced stage.
Once tooth decay has gone too far, which as we mention is often when the most obvious signs start occurring, there is often little that can be done to prevent it further, so it is vital that you take care of your teeth from an early age to make them last as long as is possible.