Visiting a dentist every six month is highly recommended in order to keep your oral health in check. But as we grow old and find ourselves tangled between professional and family life, we often ignore visiting the dentist under this 6 month period.
This soon ends up in regret when our dental health finally starts to give up on us. It is important to know that just brushing your teeth twice a day isn’t enough to keep your dental health in check. Once a year, a visit to the dentist is must. But if you think you have waited too long to visit a dentist, there are chances that you have probably developed poor oral health and serious health conditions are just a few months away from taking shape.
When you stop visiting the dentist, many health conditions develop in your month which can include bad breath, bleeding gums, tooth ache and more. If you are unsure when to visit a dentist, the signs below will help you know exactly when a visit to the dentist becomes a necessity.
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Tooth ache
- This is one of the most obvious and common signs of when to see a dentist. When your tooth starts to ache, it becomes incredibly hard to ignore it and you go out of your way to get it treated. But instead of using pills or other home methods to calm the pain, visit a dentist because there could be something seriously wrong with your tooth including infections.
Swollen gums
- Notice a bump on your gums? Gums can become swollen or inflamed by a hardened plaque which starts to accumulate beneath your gum line. This needs to be treated quickly to stop it from turning into a more serious issue such as gingivitis or periodontitis. If not immediately checked by the dentist, this could lead to a tooth loss.
Whitish spots on the teeth
- If you see small white spots on your teeth which feel sharpened when you touch them with your tongue, this could mean you are heading towards dental decay. White spots on teeth are the first visible signs of dental decay. This happens when bacteria on your teeth starts to produce acid that dissolves enamel. A dentist can immediately treat this condition and help you save your teeth.
Pain triggers due to hot and cold sensitivity
- If you start feeling pain when you consume something which is either hot or cold, this is also a common sign of tooth decay. As mentioned earlier, your enamel starts to dissolve due to acid released from bacteria which causes increased sensitivity. This results in pain triggers as soon as something hot or cold touches your teeth. A dentist can help fill a cavity if it has appeared on one of your tooth before it can develop into something serious.
Bad breath
This is one of the first and most obvious signs of a condition known as gingivitis. If your mouth has started smelling unusually bad, your oral health is poor and is probably developing a condition known as gingivitis which can lead to a more serious condition known as periodontitis. If not treated early, this could lead to tooth loss and other health conditions inside the mouth.
Bad breath should normally go away after brushing your teeth regularly. If it doesn’t, it’s time to knock your dentist’s door.