How Do I Know if I Have a Cavity?
Finding a cavity can wreck your day, but it’s better than the alternative – not knowing about it until your dentist finds a decaying tooth that needs a root canal. To make sure you catch cavities before they become a bigger problem, it’s important to know the signs and symptoms that come with cavities. The most reliable way to find a cavity before it becomes a big problem is to see your dentist every six months. They’ll be able to find cavities long before you ever feel them, which will help you keep your teeth healthy.
Before we go into the symptoms of cavities, we’ll give you some background knowledge so you can know how to avoid cavities in the future.
How do I get a cavity?
As children, we’re often told eating too much candy will give us cavities. While that’s kind of true, it’s not the whole story.
Cavities happen when food, especially high-carb or high-sugar foods, gets stuck between your teeth. The bacteria in your mouth then turns these sugary foods into acid, that combines with bacteria in your mouth and food debris to create plaque. This plaque clings to teeth, dissolving the enamel coating and creating holes in your teeth.
The bad news is, unlike most of our body, our teeth don’t heal. That means, once you’ve got a cavity, it won’t get better over time. In fact, because it’s a hole, more food is liable to get caught in it, causing it to get worse over time, which could require a more invasive procedure, like a root canal, to fix.
Typical symptoms of a cavity
In the beginning, most cavities don’t display any symptoms at all, though a good dentist will still be able to find them during a check up. However, as the decay gets larger cavities will display a variety of painful and unsightly symptoms.
Visual Symptoms
Pits or holes in your teeth
Brown, black or white stains on your teeth
Physical Symptoms
Spontaneous pain in your teeth (i.e. a toothache)
Sensitivity
Pain, ranging from mild to sharp, when eating or drinking – particularly sweet, hot, or cold foods
Pain when biting
Cavity Solutions
Unfortunately, the only real solution to any cavity is to get it filled by a dentist. We always recommend patients come in as soon as they realise they have a cavity to head off any complications that can come from leaving a cavity too long.
While a dentist can fill your cavity, and make your tooth as good as new, the best way to deal with a cavity is to avoid getting one. That means brushing your teeth at least twice a day – though brushing after every meal is even better – and remembering to bring out that floss at least once a day to make sure you get all that food out from between your teeth.
If you think you may have a cavity, book an appointment today.