It’s important to make sure that you give your oral health the attention that it needs and to visit your dentist for some essential health checks, not to mention to give them the thorough cleaning that they need from time to time. But what counts as a dental emergency and when should you make sure to book an appointment with them? Here are some of the symptoms that should get you dialing their number.

Sensitive teeth

You might think that everyone naturally has teeth that feel sensitive to hot, cold, or even sometimes particularly sweet food. It is true that cold sensitivity is common and not always something to worry about. However, tooth sensitivity, especially if it has only developed recently, can be a sign of exposed nerves as a result of tooth decay or even due to fillings that are worn down and need a replacement.

Toothache

If your tooth is hurting without any need for outside stimuli (so, it’s not due to sensitive teeth), then you should never ignore it. Toothache is rarely a symptom without a cause and by far the most common of them is tooth decay. If you let decay go unchecked for too long, then it might be too late to simply stop it or to clean it out and add a filling, you may need a root canal. The sooner that you get your dentist on the case, the sooner you can stop the tooth decay and refocus your efforts on prevention.

Bleeding gums

Gum disease is one of the most common oral health ailments affecting a lot of people. If your gums are bleeding when you brush, then it’s very likely that gum disease is the reason why. However, bleeding gums aren’t the only sign of gum disease, so if you have noticed any differences in your gums such as a change in color or you think they have receded from your teeth, get it checked out by the dentist. There’s a lot that can be done to treat gum disease, you just need to get started with the right help.

Bad breath

You might think that bad breath is nothing more than an embarrassing issue you have to deal with. True, if brushing and mouthwash help, or if you can cut certain food and drink out and it makes your breath better, then it’s nothing to worry about. However, persistent bad breath can be down to some of the conditions mentioned above, as well as other medical conditions that shouldn’t be ignored.

Broken tooth

If you have suffered any damage to a tooth, it’s not a good idea to simply wait for it to get better. Aside from increasing pain, you can experience accelerated decay and even lose the tooth by not getting it treated. From crowns to veneers, there are plenty of options to treat a broken tooth. This counts as a dental emergency.

Don’t ignore symptoms when it comes to your teeth. Remember, you get one adult set of them. Any damage done to them can’t be undone, so you want to mitigate and prevent it where possible.