Five Signs You Might Need To See Your Dentist

Following Covid, some people have not returned to their dentist, sometimes with unfortunate results….

It has been a few years now since Covid reports were hitting the news on a daily basis. It was a scary time and one that affected nearly all of us in one way or another. During this time, dental practices were forced to close for several months and even upon opening, a lot of restrictions were in place that meant that the list of people who hadn’t seen a dentist for some time continued to grow.

Things have started to return to normal now, although some areas have a lack of available NHS dental places. This is unfortunate but has also allowed some people to discover the benefits that private dental care can bring. In today’s blog though, we are going to take a look, predominantly, at those who still have not visited an Ipswich dental clinic since before the first lockdown.

Nervous dental patients

Although most people have now managed to arrange appointments to see a dentist, there are still a large number who haven’t. One of the biggest of these groups is those patients who are nervous about going. During ‘normal’ times, many of these would have managed to maintain a routine, even if it was a challenge. By having this routine broken due to Covid, going back to the dentist has presented a much bigger challenge for these patients than it has for ‘regular’ patients.

The problem with avoiding making dental appointments is that problems that are barely noticeable initially will almost certainly worsen over time, and often painfully so. While we strongly encourage anyone who hasn’t contacted our dentist in Ipswich for an appointment since lockdown to do so as soon as possible, we thought that we would look at a few possible signs that might indicate this more urgently and where delaying might mean that some serious oral health issues may be just around the corner.

Bad breath

Although some symptoms, such as a toothache, make it very clear that you need to see a dentist, there are a number of signs that act as ‘clues’ that there is a problem that needs to be addressed, rather than a big flashing ‘warning’ sign. One of these signs is when you have bad breath. This can be difficult to detect and you might need to ask a close friend if your breath smells, if they haven’t already told you!

While temporary bad breath is natural if we have been eating garlic etc, if it is persistent, it could be that you have gum disease. This is highly manageable as long as you receive treatment early enough. Delaying doing so could even result in potential loss of teeth. If you are nervous about going back and you have bad breath, you will be pleased to hear that gum disease treatment, carried out by the dental hygienist doesn’t involve any invasive treatment and could be a good way to ease you back into regular appointments with us.

Sensitive teeth

If your teeth have become sensitive to hot and cold, this is not normal and should be investigated. In most cases, this will be caused by either enamel erosion or receding gums. Where the tooth enamel has worn away, not only does this mean that you are more likely to experience discomfort from sensitive teeth, but are also more likely to develop tooth decay due to the lack of enamel that protects the inner part of your teeth. This could mean that cavities will eventually form which may require a filling, a crown or even root canal surgery.

Cautious eating

This is something that can happen quite slowly; where we go from selecting food based solely on what we want to eat and start to choose foods that are softer and less challenging on the teeth. While there is nothing wrong with softer foods per se, it could well be an indicator that we have lost confidence in the ability of our teeth to tackle harder foods and may indicate that we, subconsciously at least, suspect that all is not well with our teeth. If you have started to notice that you are doing this, an appointment with one of our Ipswich dental team is highly recommended. In many cases, this may prove to be a minor issue that needs addressing and which will help you to return to your usual diet.

Bad taste in the mouth

A bad taste in the mouth can be caused by a number of things. One of these is an oral health issue. Gum disease and other oral infections could be the cause of it, but equally, tooth decay can leave a very unpleasant taste in the mouth and even if you can’t visibly see it, a cavity may have formed and what you are tasting is actually a decaying tooth. Any problem such as this is best treated as soon as possible. Early intervention could just mean a small filling and avoiding the need for a much larger one later on, or even the possibility of needing to have the tooth extracted altogether.

Wobbly tooth

A loose tooth is never a good sign. It could be that the tooth has become damaged, perhaps through an accident, or it could be that periodontal disease is present. This can cause a tooth to become loose by damaging the bone which holds it in place. Even if a tooth is slightly wobbly, you should definitely contact your dentist straight away. As with nearly all dental issues, early intervention is key to the best outcome possible.

As we mentioned at the start of the blog, we strongly recommend that anyone who hasn’t been back to a dentist since before Covid does so as soon as they possibly can. If you have noticed any of the symptoms mentioned in this blog, or any other that you might have noticed, you should definitely do so today by picking up the phone and calling the Foxhall Dental Practice on 01473 258396 to start the journey of getting your oral health back on track.