3 Telltale Symptoms That Can Signal A Much Bigger Dental Problem

It is important to take care of your teeth. That means you need to brush and floss them at least twice a day. You also need to be sure to see your dentist regularly for check-ups to stay on top of your oral health. However, most people don't like going to the dentist, so they will put it off until they have a dental emergency. They ignore little things that shouldn't be ignored.

Here are three telltale symptoms that can mean you have a much bigger dental problem on your hands:

1. You have tooth pain when you eat something sweet.

If you have tooth pain while you are eating sweets, you likely have a cavity. It can be tempting to ignore this pain if it is mild, but you really need to see your dentist. A cavity that is untreated can eventually lead to further tooth decay, possibly even to the point of becoming abscessed, which then leads to you needing to have the tooth extracted.

If you go in to see your dentist as soon as you notice the pain while eating sweets, you can hopefully just have the cavity taken care of with a fluoride treatment or a filling. However, the longer you wait to have your tooth looked at by a dentist, the more it will decay and require more extensive dental procedures to fix it.

2. You notice that your gums appear to be receding.

Gum recession is one of those things that you may not notice when it first begins. Unless you carefully inspect your teeth and gums every day, it can easily go undetected for a long period of time. However, when you do notice that your gums are receding from your teeth, you need to see a dentist right away. There are a lot of possible causes for receding gums, but the most common one is gum disease.

It is vital to your oral health to have the underlying cause of your gum recession treated because, if it continues to progress, it can leave the roots of your teeth exposed and even cause tooth loss. 

3. You notice that your teeth have worsening sensitivity.

If you begin to notice that your teeth are sensitive to the cold and other things, it could mean that you have tooth enamel erosion. The enamel is what protects your teeth, so it is important that you catch any erosion before it gets too far advanced. Without treatment, you can lose the enamel on your teeth completely - which can lead to even more dental problems later on down the road.

To learn more, contact professionals such as Rider Thomas E DDS, Reese Allison S DDS for more help.