Signs You Need to See Your Dentist, and Soon!

It's usually recommended that adults visit their dentist annually or even more often than that, so they can have their teeth x-rayed and examined for signs of damage, and to get a thorough cleaning as well. However, there are times when you may want to see your dentist before your next check-up; you may not have an actual dental emergency, but you also may not want to wait several months for an exam if you experience any of the following.

Sensitive teeth

Despite the fact that there are lots of products on the market meant for sensitive teeth, you shouldn't feel pain when you eat hot or cold foods or drink something icy. This pain often means that nerves are exposed, due to cavities or other damage to the teeth. Your dentist should fill in those cavities as soon as possible, so this problem doesn't get worse over time. You might also need a covering put over the teeth, to protect them from enamel damage and future sensitivity.

Bad breath and bad taste in the mouth

Bad breath and having a bad taste in the mouth can mean that your tonsils are infected and need to be lanced or removed, or that you're suffering from a digestive disorder. A bad taste in the mouth might be acid from the stomach making its way back up to the throat, and this can be very damaging to the oesophagus and even your teeth and gums. Visit your dentist as soon as possible if you notice this unpleasantness lingering in your mouth, and especially if it's still present after brushing and flossing.

Swelling

Pain in the gum line can be caused by eating foods that scratch the gums, or by flossing and brushing too vigorously. This pain might subside after a few hours or a day. However, if the pain is accompanied by swelling of the mouth or cheek, it's time to see a dentist. You could have a tooth or gum infection, or may have suffered an injury that resulted in a chipped bone of the jaw or other such damage. An abscessed tooth, or one that has not cut through the gum line, can also cause this swelling, and it should be removed before it does damage to other teeth or the gums. Don't ignore this swelling or assume you can just keep putting ice on your face for several days, but see a dentist as soon as possible to have the cause of the swelling properly addressed.

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