Oral diseases affect nearly 3.5 billion people worldwide. Oral diseases can lead to dental decay. If left untreated, dental decay can become a threat to your dental hygiene and can cause extreme dental pain.
Dental decay is the process of sugary foods slowly dissolving your teeth. The sugars you eat and drink react to the bacteria found in your plaque. This reaction forms an acid that softens and dissolves your tooth enamel.
Over time the acid will cause a cavity to form in your tooth. In most cases, a dental filling can solve this issue while also giving you your smile back.
To help you find out if you need a tooth filling, we’ve put together this guide on the five signs to look out for.
Pain and Sensitivity
Pain and sensitivity are your body’s way of telling you something is wrong. As soon as you start to experience sensitivity or bouts of dental pain you need to schedule a dentist appointment.
While tooth sensitivity can be a common occurrence with no underlying issues, it can also be a sign of bigger dental problems. Sensitivity needs to be handled carefully. If you know you have tooth sensitivity after eating or drinking certain things, you don’t need to worry, but if sensitivity is a new development you can’t just ignore it.
If the pain and sensitivity are centered in a particular spot or around a certain tooth then you need to have your dentist take a look. You may just need a filling or a change in your dental hygiene routine. If your tooth is severely infected to the point where the root is affected, you may require a root canal to fix the issue.
Consistent Toothache
Intense bouts of pain or sudden tooth sensitivity are what most people associate with toothaches. But it can also present as a consistent dull throb and mainly feel like a minor inconvenience. Just because the pain isn’t debilitating doesn’t mean you can ignore it.
Any pain or discomfort that persists for a long period of time is a negative sign. Ignoring your pain because it’s “just” a toothache can cause your simple toothache to spiral into a bigger problem.
As soon as you start to experience any pain or strange sensations in your mouth, you should contact your dental professional. They’ll be able to diagnose the source of your consistent pain and help you find a solution.
Bad Breath
Cavities can make you have bad breath. As cavities become bigger, there’s more space for food and other debris to get stuck in.
This not only causes bacteria and acids to stay in contact with your tooth for longer periods of time as it feeds off of the food, but it also speeds up dental decay.
The trapped food and debris can cause bad odours to develop. The bacteria also cause your fresh breath to turn into bad breath. You might even notice an overall bad taste in your mouth due to the decaying food and bacteria.
Luckily this is something that can easily be reversed by seeing your dentist. They can clear out the decay, fix the cavity, and leave you with fresh smelling breath.
Holes in Your Teeth
The most obvious sign that you need to book a dental appointment is holes in your teeth. If you start to notice a rough or jagged surface on your teeth. The sooner you get the spot filled, the better, you don’t want it to develop into a bigger problem.
If you notice a dark spot forming or your tooth turning grey, this can be a sign that your roots are damaged and a hole might develop soon. Grey teeth are a clear sign that there is something wrong with your tooth, and the entire tooth might need to be pulled.
Damaged or Missing Filling
While fillings are meant to be permanent, this isn’t always the case. Old fillings can develop problems of their own, become loose, or even fall out completely.
There are various reasons why your filling is falling out, but the main cause is generally further tooth decay. Lack of attention to your oral hygiene can also cause your filling to loosen up. In this case, you will need to have the filling replaced to prevent developing further dental issues and pain.
Your filling can also shift and loosen if your roots are infected and inflamed. To fix this, the filling needs to be removed before your dentist can treat your roots. You might need to keep the cavity open for a few days while your roots heal before the cavity can be filled again.
Replacing a filling is an easy procedure that your dentist does in the office. The dentist will use a numbing agent like novocaine before replacing your filling.
Know When to Ask for a Dental Filling
There are many signs that you may need a dental filling or filling replacement. It’s important to be able to see these signs before you’re in pain from dental decay. Routine dental appointments will help you manage your dental fillings and spot issues before they become painful.
Are you ready to get rid of your dental pain while also getting your smile back? Contact us for detailed information regarding dental treatments or dental travel. Premium Dental Turkey offers high-quality affordable dental treatments such as veneers, crowns, implants, whitening, and other dental services in Turkey for international clients.
