5 Oral Health Warning signs you should never ignore.

You’re brushing and flossing like a boss, you attend your regular Active Maintenance visits to your dentist, you’re eating well, using the right tools for your at-home  oral Health care and you know when to replace them – what could go wrong – right?

Sometimes things can go awry for even the most diligent of us, it doesn’t hurt to be a super sleuth when it comes to your oral health, here are some symptoms to keep on the radar…

Your teeth and/or jaw soreness may be caused by stress, or from bruxxing (grinding your teeth) while you sleep. If you are a bruxxer, your dentist might recommend a splint for you to wear at night, to help alleviate the symptoms. However, oral discomfort may also be caused by a sinus condition, toothache, or gum disease. Jaw pain is also associated with Heart Attack, so if you are experiencing pain, call your dentist and book in for a check – just to be on the safe side.

My Gums are bleeding!

When you floss, your gums bleed a little. Here’s a tip – if your gums bleed – keep flossing in your oral hygiene routine. If after a week your gums are still bleeding when you floss, then don’t ignore it, it’s time to book in to see your dentist.
Bleeding or sore gums can be an indicator of early gum disease such as gingivitis, which can lead to more serious gum infections and oral problems such as bad breath, tooth loss, and sensitivity to hot and cold – we don’t want any of that, right? Gum infections can be linked to more serious conditions such as heart disease and diabetes. Let’s get those gums checked out to rule out anything sinister.

Ouch! Toothache/ Tooth sensitivity.

Toothache isn’t going to go away without help, and if you leave a toothache too long, you run the risk of the infection causing nerve damage or rendering the tooth unsalvageable. Toothache or tooth sensitivity could also mean that your tooth is slowly dying. We don’t want to lose one of those pearlies that you’ve been taking such good care of, do we? So best take your toothache along to the dentist early, alleviate the pain and save the tooth!

My breath smells like a fish tank…

Was it the pickles and pastrami on your sandwich at lunch, or the garlic and anchovy pizza for dinner last night? – your diet could very easily be the cause of your anti-social breath (break out the mouthwash and the mints!) If that’s not it, perhaps have a closer look at your dental hygiene routine, have you slackened off of late? Maybe it’s time to get a little more diligent with the brush and floss.

If your breath remains rancid, there may be a larger issue here. Oftentimes gum disease is the cause, so now might be a time to call in the Big Guns (AKA your dentist). Whatever the cause of your nasty mouth, a visit to the dentist can help clear things up. Not only can you prevent gum disease from becoming serious, you’ll also be able to get up close and personal again!

What IS this? Sores, lump and lesions in the mouth.

Sometimes sores and lesions on the mouth can be attributed to poor nutrition or stress, but it can also be an early sign of Oral Cancer, so if you find a lesion or a lump, it isn’t something to procrastinate over. Oral Cancer is common, most often found in smokers or heavy alcohol users. It often starts out as small red or white spots or sores in the mouth. While it would be very hard for you to tell the difference between a canker sore and a cancer, your dentist is trained to know the difference, in fact at Dental Fresh we check our patients at every visit for signs of oral cancer.
Regardless of the cause of your sores or lesions, it’s imperative to get them checked out. Whatever their cause, your dentist can assist with an appropriate treatment plan. The sooner this gets checked by your dentist, the easier treatment will be, so don’t dilly dally!

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