Are you curious whether your symptoms could be due to tooth decay?

Cavities are one of the most common dental problems that affect both children and adults and while they are easy enough to prevent, you would be surprised how often they still arise. If you don’t visit your Radcliff, KY family dentist, Dr. Ernest Skaggs, as often as you should then you’ll probably find yourself dealing with tooth decay at some point during your lifetime. If you think you might have a cavity find out some of the telltale signs.

Not all cavities are the same, and so not everyone will experience the same symptoms. The types of symptoms you experience will depend on how severe the cavity is and where it is located. In the very beginning, you won’t even notice that it’s there.

The only way to be able to tell that you have the beginnings of a cavity is by visiting Dr. Skaggs for routine biannual cleanings and exams.

Of course, if you don’t come in for regular checkups you may not even know that you have decay until it has become rather extensive. If this happens then you may notice:

• Dental pain
• Sensitivity to hot or cold in the affected tooth
• Some pain when chewing or biting down
• A small hole or dark spot on your tooth

If you notice any of these symptoms the best thing you can do is call us right away for a visit. We will be able to examine the tooth and determine if a cavity is the cause of your symptoms. If we do find a cavity, the decayed areas of the tooth will need to be removed. Delaying treatment could lead to root canals or loss of a tooth, which will result in a diminished ability to chew and tooth movement, as well as more costly treatment in the future. 

Treating a cavity is simple and can be performed under local anesthesia, which will numb the area before we begin. Then we will remove the decay from the tooth. From there, we will need to rebuild these sections of the tooth. In most cases, we will use a tooth-colored resin to build the tooth back up. Each layer is applied and shaped over the tooth before hardened with a dental laser. You will leave the office with a restored tooth and no one will even be able to tell that you got a dental filling.

Don’t let tooth decay ruin your beautiful smile. This is an easy fix if the problem is caught early on. If you haven’t been the best about keeping up with your six-month dental cleanings it’s never too late to start getting back into the routine. Call your Radcliff, KY, dentist Dr. Skaggs today to schedule your next dental visit.