Apart from yearly dental check-ups, there can be many other factors indicating that you need to consult a dentist. Here is how you can spot these signs.
Signs You Should See a Dentist
- In addition to your twice-yearly preventative exams and cleanings, if you are experiencing any of the following, you should give us a call for an appointment.
- If your teeth are sensitive to hot or cold – it could be a sign of damage to enamel, or a crack or broken tooth.
- If your gums are puffy and/or they bleed when you brush or floss, you could be suffering from periodontal disease.
- If you don’t like the way your smile or teeth look because of missing or crooked teeth, or discoloration.
- If you have bad breath or a bad taste in your mouth that you can’t get rid of by brushing.
- If you are you are pregnant, or have just had a baby you should see a dentist. Pregnancy can cause changes that affect oral health.
- If you have swelling or pain of the face or neck, or trouble swallowing it could be a sign of an infection.
- If you have a family history of gum disease or tooth decay and you are concerned about your own oral health.
- If you have a medical condition. Diabetes, cardiovascular disease, HIV, and eating disorder such as bulimia all are especially hard on the teeth and gums.
- If you suffer from a dry mouth.
- If you are a smoker or use other tobacco products.
- If you are undergoing radiation, chemotherapy or hormone replacement therapy, we would like you to make an appointment with the dentist as soon as possible. These medical treatments can change the body chemistry.
- If you suffer from pain when opening and closing your jaw, when you chew or when you first wake up.
- You have sore or spot in your mouth that doesn’t look or feel right in your mouth, and/won’t go away.
You floss, brush twice a day but when it comes to tongue cleaning, it’s confusing – to brush or not to brush? Here are some healthy tips to keep your tongue clean.
To Brush or Not to Brush – the Tongue
Does your tongue need to be brushed? The answer: probably not. A perfectly healthy mouth does not need additional cleaning of the tongue. However, if you are suffering from a cold or disease, additional steps can be taken. While there are a lot of different tongue-cleaning options, they basically come in 2 options. You can choose to brush the tongue with you regular toothbrush, or a tongue scraper.
Tongue scrapers come in a variety of shapes and sizes, and each person may have a preference, but they all generally work the same way, by providing an edge on which to scrape the top of the tongue. Users should start at the back and pull the scraper forward towards the front teeth. Rinse with a mouthwash afterwards for a fresher smile.
It is important to note that cleaning the tongue alone will not prevent bad breath or improve halitosis (chronic bad breath). Bad breath can exist because of disease, infection, or poor hygiene and cleaning just the tongue will not solve these problems.
However, if you like the way your mouth feels after you clean your tongue, it can certainly be part of your daily dental routine along with brushing and flossing.
Get a supervised cleaning routine, contact us a Shalimar Family Dentistry.