3 Signs You May Need To Visit The Dentist For A Tooth Issue

Do you make sure to visit your dentist at least twice a year to check on your oral health? Learn why dental visits are so important.

3 Signs You May Need To Visit The Dentist For A Tooth Issue

21 March 2017
 Categories: Dentist, Blog


As much as you try to eat the right foods and brush and floss regularly in order to take care of your teeth, your teeth can still become damaged or infected. Often, things like cavities, infections, or damage occurs or can develop in areas that are hard for you to reach both with your toothbrush and with dental floss. While the only way to 100% confirm that you have an issue with one or more of your teeth is to go into the dentist, you often don't want to go in unless you are fairly confident that you do have a problem. Thankfully, there are certain signs and symptoms that you will likely experience when you have a problem with one of your teeth. This article is going to discuss 3 signs that you may need to visit the dentist for a tooth issue.

Pain When Chewing

If you experience a pain in your tooth whenever you chew, this is a pretty good sign that you have a cavity in this tooth. This pain is generally going to come from the root of your tooth because it is likely in the process of decaying or just beginning to decay. You can generally tell how severe the decay is by touching your teeth either with your toothbrush or your hand and seeing how painful it is for you. The higher your pain level, the more important it is for you to get into the dentist as soon as possible to have your tooth looked at and your cavity taken care of.

Increased Sensitivity

Another sign that you may have a problem in one of your teeth is if you experience increased sensitivity in this tooth. This means that you may feel pain when cold air hits your tooth or when you eat cold food, such as ice cream. Hot beverages and foods, such as coffee and hot soups, may also cause you to get a shooting pain through your tooth when they come in contact with it. This could very well be due to the infection and damaged nerve pain that is increased by the hot and/or cold.

Swelling In Your Gums

One sign that you may not initially see as a sign of a tooth issue, but one that most definitely can be, is swelling in your gums. You have nerves in your teeth. These nerves go from the tooth and up into the gums. Because of this, you may get swelling in your gums due to the infection. Sometimes this swelling may be painful, and other times it is not. However, if you have this swelling, combined with any other signs, then you very well may have an infection going on that the dentist needs to look at. 

If you are experiencing these symptoms, it is a good idea to contact a dentist by calling or visiting professional websites, like http://northwestdental.com/.