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Five Cavity Symptoms You Shouldn’t Ignore

Food is wonderful (and, you know, essential to living). That’s why it’s honestly rude that it can contribute to cavities. Sometimes cavities fly under the radar. Other times, though, cavity symptoms might make you feel like your mouth is a complete wreck.

Also known as dental caries or tooth decay, cavities are damaged areas in your enamel, that hard outer surface of your teeth, according to the Mayo Clinic. This damage happens as a result of plaque, a sticky bacterial film that feeds on food and drink debris hanging out on your teeth. If you don’t brush and floss often and well enough to regularly remove plaque, it can bore into your teeth’s enamel and create little holes. Bam, now you’ve got cavities that might make themselves known in any number of irritating ways.

With that in mind, we consulted dentists for the top cavity symptoms that should catch your attention. If you’re dealing with any of these, go get treatment ASAP before the cavity has time to spread.

1. You have a toothache, and you don’t know why.

Tooth decay is the most common cause of toothaches, the Mayo Clinic says, although things like injuring your teeth or having a sinus infection can cause them, too. But if a toothache comes on suddenly and nothing else about your health has changed, it could definitely be due to a cavity.

Once a cavity gets through your enamel, it keeps drilling down into the next layer, which is called dentin, Mark S. Wolff, D.D.S., Ph.D., professor and chair of the Department of Cariology and Comprehensive Care at the New York University College of Dentistry, tells SELF. A cavity can even travel into the pulp of your teeth, which is the center part that’s made up of living tissue and cells. “As a cavity gets closer to the pulp of the tooth, the pulp is more likely to become inflamed, causing pain,” Dr. Wolff explains.

To be clear, cavities don’t always hurt, Susan Maples, D.D.S., author of Blabber Mouth! 77 Secrets Only Your Mouth Can Tell You to Live a Healthier, Happier, Sexier Life, tells SELF. But if you’re feeling random pain in your teeth, it’s a good idea to get a dentist’s opinion on what’s causing it.

2. You feel sensitivity or pain when you eat or drink something acidic, cold, hot, sticky, or sweet.

Some people just have sensitive teeth, Julie Cho, D.M.D., a general dentist in New York City, tells SELF, but this issue could also come down to cavities.

When a cavity snakes its way down to the dentin of your teeth, hollow canals known as microscopic tubules allow acidic, cold, hot, sticky, or sweet foods to stimulate the nerves and cells inside your teeth, according to the American Dental Association. This feels about as good as it sounds.

While you should definitely see a dentist about unusual sensitivity in your teeth, you should be especially quick about it if you’re feeling actual pain. That might mean your cavity is more advanced, Chris Kammer, D.D.S., founding father of the American Academy for Oral Systemic Health and spokesperson for Spry Dental Defense, tells SELF.

3. You can actually see a hole or pit on your tooth.

When a cavity starts to form, it usually shows up as a small white spot on the surface of your tooth, Dr. Wolff says. When the erosion gets worse and the cavity begins to burrow into your tooth, it forms a hole or pit that might be visible to the naked eye. This is a clear sign that you have a cavity requiring dental help, Dr. Maples says.

4. Your teeth are stained brown, black, or white.

Sure, your teeth can get discolored from your daily coffee habit. But if you notice a discolored spot with a different hue from the rest of your teeth, it can be a sign of tooth decay, Dr. Maples says. Although cavities typically first look like little white marks, they can eventually pick up stains from the foods and beverages you consume, turning them a different color, Dr. Maples says.

5. You feel a sharp jolt of pain when you bite down.

This is another potential sign that your tooth’s pulp is inflamed, Dr. Wolff says. It can also be a sign that the pulp has actually died due to infection and is pressing down on the root underneath, Dr. Maples says. The root is connected to the bone underneath that helps keep your tooth in place, so this can feel pretty disastrous. “Any pressure down on that would hurt,” Dr. Maples says.

There’s always a chance that pain like this could be a sign of something like a cracked tooth, but the point is that no matter the cause, you’ll need to see a dentist for a fix. When left untreated, a cavity can damage a tooth badly enough that it needs to be extracted. “Go see a professional to get an X-ray and a clinical diagnosis,” Dr. Cho says. “You cannot will away dental pain."

(08/06/2022)
by Korin Miller

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