You already know that annual checkups are to your advantage. How about the rest of the year? There are times when you need to seek out a dentist near you and receive treatment before a condition can get any worse. If you're the type who tends to hesitate about making an appointment, here are four examples of times when seeing a dentist quickly makes sense.
Your Teeth Don't Pass the Tissue Test
You noticed that your teeth don't seem to be as bright as in years past. Sure enough, they are obviously yellowed when you hold a piece of tissue up to you mouth. Could it be a loss of enamel or is the yellowing due to stains? The only way you will know for sure is to see a dentist. Hopefully, the enamel is intact and some whitening treatments will improve your smile quickly.
There's an Ache That Doesn't Go Away
The pain is not that bad and it even seems to dull a bit from time to time. Even so, it never quite goes away. Instead of trying to ignore it, the best move is to see a dentist. If the pain is due to some minor issue with a tooth or possibly some kind of infection, a dental expert can correct the problem quickly. What the dentist cannot do is help you recover all that sleep you lost because of that ongoing pain.
Sensitive to Cold Beverages
Until recently, you could drink anything that you like without any kind of discomfort. Now it seems that every sip of a cold beverage causes quite a bit of pain. You're not sure why the teeth are suddenly so sensitive, but this is not a condition you want to live with for the long term. Choosing to see a dentist now will help you get to the bottom of the issue and find out what can be done to make things better. Hopefully, the sensitivity will be easy to correct and things can get back to normal.
Being in an Accident
Any type of event that leads to a direct hit in the mouth is grounds to call a dental professional. Depending on the severity of the impact, you could have teeth that are now loosened. A tooth or two may be cracked even if they seem to be fine. When one or more teeth are chipped, you definitely need to see a dentist as quickly as possible.
If any of your teeth were knocked out, there's only a limited amount of time before inserting them again is no longer an option. Call an emergency dentist even as you're gathering the teeth up and preparing to head for a clinic or other facility. The dentist may recommend that you try placing them back in the sockets. If that doesn't work, keep the teeth on ice and get to the clinic as fast as you can.
Proper dental care does include seeing a dentist on a regular basis. It can also include seeking help when something out of the ordinary takes place. Don't try to tough it out and assume everything will be fine. A trip to the dentist today will likely mean fewer issues tomorrow and definitely better health in the years to come.
