4 Signs It’s Time for a Dentist’s Appointment

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), one in every two American adults 30 years and above is dealing with periodontal disease. A study—Prevalence of Periodontitis in Adults in the United States: 2009 and 2010—estimates that 47.2 percent American adults have mild, moderate or severe periodontal disease. You’re most likely one of these stats.
Regular visits to the dentist are imperative to maintain optimal oral health. Even though a trip to the dentist can be quite scary for some people, if you’re experiencing any of these dental problems, it’s time to give your dentist a visit.

Inflamed Gums

Inflamed gums cause bleeding, swelling and soreness in the mouth. If it’s gone unchecked, they can lead to plaque buildup, eventually causing Gingivitis and even Periodontitis—an advanced form of periodontal disease.

Gingivitis is a gum disease that occurs when plaque, a sticky film, builds around the gums, trapping bacteria in it. Plaque gets stuck in hard-to-reach areas of your teeth and becomes difficult to remove. This leads to cavities, irritation of gums and bad breath.

Once gingivitis develops in gums, and remains untreated, it leads to Periodontitis. Periodontitis is caused by Periodontitis bacteria trapped in plaque. It causes extreme inflammation, swelling and bleeding, eventually resulting in tooth loss. Before the situation gets worse, get it checked by a Periodontist.

White Spots

White spots are a sign of tooth decay and infection. Bacteria in your mouth produce acid which causes the enamel to dissolve. This is due to improper dental hygiene, such as not brushing or flossing your teeth properly.
Bacterial accumulation leads to the appearance of white spots. White spots are the first sign of tooth decay. If not treated properly, they can cause cavities and rotting of teeth.
Sometimes, white spots appear in between teeth and you won’t be aware of them, so it’s important to schedule a dental cleaning regularly.

Sensitivity to Hot and Cold

One of the main causes of tooth sensitivity is cavities. If cavities develop in your teeth and remain untreated, they reach the center of the tooth. The tooth center contains the nerves and blood vessels and cause extreme sensitivity to certain hot and cold foods such as ice cream, coffee or tea.

If you start experiencing sharp pain and sensitivity, it’s time you get it checked by a dentist, before the cavity causes the tooth to rot entirely, requiring you to get a root canal.

Some other reasons for sensitivity are broken tooth, teeth grinding, damaged filling and abscess development. However, whatever the cause is, you need to visit your dentist.

Changes in Mouth Texture

While cleaning your teeth, take some time to check your tongue and cheeks for any sign of change. Check for any red or white spots that were not there before, or development of lumps. If any of these lumps or spots aren’t going away and start spreading, you need to get them checked right away.
The appearance of canker sores is very common in mouths. But if they don’t go away in 2–3 weeks, they need to get checked, as it can be an early sign of mouth cancer.

Thrush and Candidiasis, caused by fungal infection can also cause white spots to appear on the tongue, below the tongue, on the inside of cheeks and the roof of the mouth. People with diabetes are more susceptible to them due to a high level of sugar in their saliva.

These are some of the warning signs that you should not take lightly. By the time signs start to appear, the problem has likely worsened. Our family dentists at Advanced Dental Center ensure your dental health gets the attention it deserves. Visit us now in Germantown or call us at (301) 353-8890 to consult our dentists. Take an office tour now!

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