If you are an adult who has not yet experienced a cavity, you are quite rare. In fact, only 10 percent of all American adults reach retirement age without a cavity. If you are prone to cavities, you need to know the warning signs so that you can get the cavity filled as soon as possible. Here are some warning signs you may have a cavity.
What Are Cavities?
Cavities occur when there is an excess of bacteria in your mouth. The bacteria in your mouth can be helpful or harmful. Helpful bacteria help you digest your food, but harmful bacteria can cause trouble. All of the bad bacteria in your mouth make acids that eat away at your tooth enamel. Over time, those tiny holes grow larger and deeper into your tooth until the cavity reaches the middle of your tooth and causes an infection. The sooner you get the tooth filled, the stronger your tooth will remain.
Signs You May Have a Cavity
There are several signs you may have a cavity. One sign is a bad smell in your mouth or bad breath. This type of bad breath is not like the bad breath you have when you eat onions or garlic. Instead, you might notice that you smell a sulfurous mixture in your breath, or you may taste rotten eggs or cabbage. You may have this sulfurous smell and taste in your mouth because the acids in bacteria are eating into your enamel and dentin layers.
Another sign you may have a cavity has nothing to do with smell. As the acids from bacteria eat into your enamel and dentin, you may experience tooth sensitivity and pain. This occurs as the cavity in your mouth gets larger and deeper.
You may also notice tooth discoloration if you have a cavity. Your tooth may look grayish or bluish if you have a cavity. Take a look at the color of your teeth as you are brushing to see if any of your teeth look discolored.
Not sure whether you have a cavity or not? We can help. Reach out to our office today to make an appointment with our dentist.
Summit Dental Group, 9121 Illinois Road, Fort Wayne, IN 46804 ^ 260-297-7081 ^ summitdentalgrp.com ^ 12/4/2024 ^ Associated Words: dentist Fort Wayne IN ^
If you are an adult who has not yet experienced a cavity, you are quite rare. In fact, only 10 percent of all American adults reach retirement age without a cavity. If you are prone to cavities, you need to know the warning signs so that you can get the cavity filled as soon as possible. Here are some warning signs you may have a cavity. 