Are you wondering about how to tell if you have a cavity? You might think you’re safe because you don’t have a toothache. But, early stages of tooth decay don’t have any symptoms.
If you want to make sure you don’t have any cavities, make sure you practice good oral health habits and visit our dental team every six months to prevent cavities from forming.
If you’re worried you might have a cavity, read more about cavities, cavity symptoms, and how you can prevent them.
What Is a Cavity?
A cavity is tooth decay that happens when your tooth enamel is destroyed. The tooth enamel is the outer layer of your teeth.
Bacteria in your mouth use sugar and carbohydrates to make acid. This acid eats away at your teeth over time. As the decay continues, the bacteria makes its way into tiny holes and cracks in your teeth.
When this happens, the bacteria keep making acid, which causes decay that forms cavities. The cavities continue to attack and erode your tooth enamel and move deeper into your teeth.
If you drink sugary beverages or snack on sweets throughout the day, your risk of developing cavities increases.
How to Tell if You Have a Cavity
You might think that there’s always pain associated with cavities, but this isn’t the case. If you have mild tooth decay, you might not have any cavity symptoms at all. So, unless you have preventative dental checkups, you won’t realize you have mild tooth decay.
Our dental team can identify small signs of a cavity with a tooth-by-tooth cavity check. When we find a cavity early, you won’t have pain from large cavities and treatment will be less expensive.
Then, we can remove the cavity and replace it with a filling before you experience any symptoms. If you wait until you have pain, the cavity can damage your nerves.
Dental Problems Related to Cavities
If you ignore cavities, you can develop painful symptoms. Here are some possible complications you can have from ignoring symptoms of a cavity:
- Pain and discomfort
- Pain when drinking hot and cold beverages
- Black or brown spots on teeth
- Tooth fractures
- Tooth abscess
- Tooth sensitivity
- Bone infection
- Bone loss
- Pain when biting down
If you experience any of these cavity symptoms, call us right away. Getting preventative dental treatment can save your teeth.
What Are the Treatments for Cavities?
Depending on the severity of your cavity, treatment options vary. If you have a mild cavity, sometimes natural health solutions can help repair your tooth’s enamel. But, if your cavity has progressed beyond the initial stage, most likely you’ll need a filling.
At this stage, we remove the cavity and fill in the hole with materials, such as porcelain, gold, silver or tooth-coloured filling.
For more advanced cavities, you may need a root canal, crown or tooth extraction. By visiting our dental team every six months, you can prevent these serious complications.
How to Prevent Cavities
Now that you know how to tell if you have a cavity, you can prevent cavities by practising good oral health habits. These include visiting a dentist regularly, eating a balanced diet, avoiding sweets, and brushing your teeth and flossing twice a day.
Contact us to schedule a preventative dental exam.
