According to the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, you can suffer from tooth decay at any age—after you’ve developed teeth. The reason is could be the intake of sugary foods. The sugar in your candies and sodas releases acid. This acid then weakens the tooth enamel leading to severe toothache.
After the acid has attacked the enamel, a hole, also known as a cavity is formed in your tooth. If left untreated, these holes can enlarge and might even affect all your teeth.
What can you do apart from avoiding foods with high sugar content?
Learn about your symptoms so you know when to seek dental treatment. We’ve listed a few for you here:
Tooth Sensitivity:
If you let out a sudden shriek of pain after your first bite of ice-cream, you should be alarmed!
Tooth sensitivity indicates that your teeth have lost its protective covering called the Dentin. The Dentin is a sponge-like tissue which gets exposed if your teeth are decayed. The hot and cold then directly hits the nerves, making your teeth sensitive.
Make sure to seek dental help for sensitive teeth before it worsens.
Stains:
Another possible symptom of tooth decay is appearance of stains on your teeth. These stains start off as white and then later become brown and black as the decay worsens. This discoloration affects your smile and is not easy to get rid of with just toothpaste. The reason again is eating foods with too much starch and sugars.
Unpleasant taste:
A lot of tooth decay patients complain of bad breath and a rotten taste prevailing in their mouths. This is a sign of worsening tooth decay and means that the bacteria have dug deeper into the enamel. When the bacteria stay in mouth for quite some time, it takes up new forms and releases new substances.
A foul-smelling mouth can also be very bad for your self-esteem.
Tooth-ache
Discomfort in teeth is the most common sign of tooth decay. The pain usually starts off within the teeth area but can spread out to jaws, ears or even the head. The intensity of pain varies as per the nature of the decay. It’s mostly excruciating and keeps you from sleeping peacefully.
In case of appearance of any of these symptoms, head to a dentist as soon as possible! At West Hills Smiles in CA, we can book you an emergency dental treatment immediately. We specialize in general, cosmetic, and restorative dentistry.
Visit our website or call at (818) 346-4303 to book an appointment.
Keep smiling!