The First Signs of a Cavity

Oral hygiene is important for the prevention of cavities. If you don’t brush and floss daily, signs of cavities can show up and cause discomfort. Your dentist will tell you about the signs of cavities during your regular dental clinic visit. It is important to listen to the advice of your dentist because not following their suggestions can lead to a deteriorated oral health. Cavities can further lead to pain, abscess formation, and eventually tooth loss. To ensure that your teeth are in the best shape, you need to identify these first signs of cavities and rush to your dental clinic for immediate treatment.

Symptom #1: Persistent Toothache

The most obvious sign of cavities is when you feel a sharp pain in a particular tooth for a prolonged period. The acute pain may increase when your tooth comes in contact with something. If nothing about your health changed lately, the cause of sudden toothache could be dental cavities. Decay erodes the tooth enamel, exposing the nerves inside your tooth. The open ends of these nerves experience a shock when they come in contact with food or drink. The shock results in acute pain.

Symptom #2: Bad Breath

Cavities are holes and crevices in your teeth that make an ideal place for harmful bacteria to thrive, develop, and release acids. These acids further result in more cavity formation. Moreover, bacteria result in plaque formation on dental surfaces and along the gumline. Bacteria, acids, and even plaque build-ups can cause odour and a bad taste in the mouth. So if you notice that people are complaining that you have bad breath or if you persistently experience bad taste of foods, you may have dental cavities.

Symptom #3: Increased Sensitivity

Cavities are caused when bacteria and plaque build-ups deplete or erode tooth enamel and result in holes. And as we mentioned above, erosion of dental enamel results in exposure of underlying tooth nerves in the dentin region of your tooth. Acidic, cold, hot, sticky, or sweet foods stimulate these nerves and cells inside your teeth, resulting in irritation or throbbing pain. This pain can also be termed as teeth sensitivity. If you suddenly experience pain in a particular tooth while having such foods and beverages, you may have to visit your dental clinic as these are signalling signs of cavities.

Symptom #4: Dark Spots

While some cavities appear on the surface as abscesses or holes, others look more like spots on the surface of the infected tooth. If you notice a discoloured (blackish, brownish, or even milky-whitish) spots with a different hue from the rest of your teeth, it can be a sign of cavities. Although cavities may first look like only tiny white marks, they can eventually get stained from the foods and beverages you consume. In some cases, cavities may cause the entire tooth to darken. If you notice something like this, rush to your dental clinic and find out the actual cause of tooth discolouration.

There are a number of steps required for cavities to form. If you’ve noticed any of these signs, visit your dental clinic today and get your mouth checked. Don’t just stop there; get the right treatment for your dental caries, too.