What are the five signs you should go visit a dentist? I’m Dr. Rachel Miro, a dentist here at Dental Implant and Aesthetic Specialists. Today, we’re going to talk about those reasons.
Sign 1: Bleeding Gums
Are you brushing your teeth or flossing, and you just get that little bit of blood? This probably means that you’re due for a cleaning. Bleeding gums are usually indicative of swelling in the gums. A lot of times, the swelling is due to plaque on the teeth. The main thing is to get in with your doctor. Go get a cleaning. A really good cleaning can minimize this bleeding. Unfortunately, bleeding gums can lead to periodontal disease. Periodontal disease is bacteria inside your gum tissue that eventually leads to bone loss. We really want to avoid this as much as possible, so if you have those bleeding gums when you’re brushing your teeth or flossing, get in to see your dentist. It’s super important.
Sign 2: Sensitivity to Hot and Cold
Have you been drinking some really cold water lately or hot coffee or iced coffee, and you just get that terrible sensitivity to hot and cold? This means you need to go see the dentist. This could be for a lot of reasons. It could be because you have a little bit of gum recession that is allowing that cold and hot to penetrate through that tooth and causing you sensitivity. Or it could be because something more serious is going on, like possibly a cavity or the need for a root canal. It’s important if you’re experiencing hot and cold sensitivity to go see your doctor and really get to know what that underlying problem is and make sure that we can get rid of that sensitivity. Prolonged sensitivity is just not good for your teeth.
Sign 3: Broken Tooth
Did you chip a tooth or break a tooth in the back while eating a nut or a hard candy? It’s really important to see your dentist. You want to make sure that that little break doesn’t propagate. It doesn’t get worse. A lot of times, you might have a little chip on a tooth, and it might not bother you, and you might think, Hey, this isn’t a big deal. The truth is that what you can see is different than what your dentist can see. You could have small fracture lines, and by the time you get in to see your dentist, it might be too late. That fracture can actually go deep into the root of the tooth or the bone and cause you a way bigger problem. So that being said, if you have a chipped tooth or a broken tooth, go in to see your dentist. You want to make sure that you’re getting the proper treatment.
Sign 4: Bad Taste in Your Mouth
You have a funky taste in your mouth. All of a sudden, something weird might be going on. Well, you want to go see your dentist. There are a lot of reasons why you can have a bad taste in your mouth. One thing can definitely be bad breath and things associated with that, like possible bacteria in your mouth, but another problem could be an infection. A lot of times, this taste in your mouth can be an infected tooth. A lot of times, when our teeth die, that means that the tooth might need a root canal. It no longer has a nerve, and it doesn’t cause you pain. But unfortunately, that can also mean that your tooth has an infection.
Abscesses and Infections
When these tooth infections happen, they can form abscesses or little pimples that drain into your mouth with yucky pus. This can cause you to have a really gross taste in your mouth. If this is the case and you have that sour taste, you definitely want to get in to see your dentist regardless of whether you have pain or not.
Sign 5: Persistent Pain
Are you waking up at night with terrible pain, have a throbbing sensation in your teeth, or even just minor pain that kind of lingers and is dull? You want to make sure you go see your dentist if you have pain. Pain can be for a lot of different reasons, but the main thing is that you don’t want it to get worse. Sometimes, if you let the pain get bad enough, it could become chronic pain, and that makes it a lot harder for the dentist to treat. If you have pain, go see your dentist. If you have pain, come see us. We’re happy to help.
Conclusion
I’m Dr. Rachel Miro, and I’m a dentist here at Dental Implant and Aesthetic Specialist, and I’m here to help you watch your mouth. Today we’ve discussed the five main signs that you need to go see the dentist. Call today!