Dental health is an essential part of your overall wellbeing. But most people postpone the dentist unless there is a significant issue. Such an approach to dental care can put you at risk of serious dental conditions. Even if you don’t have any symptoms it is crucial to visit your dentist once a year. Regular dental appointments can help you decrease the risk of painful dental conditions that can cause permanent damage to your dental health.

Here are 5 situations when to worry about your dental health and what to do.

1. Pain when chewing

If your teeth hurt when you chew, this is a clear sign that you have a serious problem with your teeth. This pain can indicate dental problems like a large cavity, dental abscess, cracked tooth, gum disease, and gum recession. All these conditions have unpleasant symptoms and can cause permanent damage to your teeth if left untreated. For this reason, if you experience pain when chewing or bite, make an appointment to see your dentist. 

The doctor can access your mouth and find out the root cause of the pain. With proper treatment, you can successfully treat any of these conditions and improve your dental health. 

2. Bad breath

One of the main causes of bad breath is poor dental hygiene. If you brush your teeth twice a day, use tooth floss, and mouthwash, bad breath can signal something more serious. The dental conditions contributing to bad breath include gum disease and dry mouth. A dry mouth occurs when your salivary gland cannot produce enough saliva. Lack of saliva makes you more susceptible to gums inflammation and tooth decay. 

If you have bad breath that interferes with your life and communication with other people, visit your dentist. The doctor can help you eliminate bad breath and improve the quality of your life. 

3. Gums bleeding

If you have noticed that your gums start bleeding, you need to schedule an appointment with your dentist ASAP. Gum bleeding is one of the several symptoms of gum disease. This condition often develops without noticeable symptoms until the situation becomes critical. Gum disease often results in the gums receding. Untreated gums receding is a major risk factor for tooth loss.

If you suspect you have gum disease make an appointment with your dentist. The doctor can suggest treatment like laser gum treatment. During this procedure, the doctor removes inflamed and infected gum tissue with a laser. This procedure has a high success rate and can offer great results in gum disease treatment. 

4. Sores in the mouth

Sores in the mouth is a symptom that can indicate dangerous dental and overall health problems like mouth cancer. If you noticed any abnormal growth or wound in your oral cavity or around the mouth, call your dentist immediately. Another reason for sores in the mouth is clogged salivary gland. This problem isn’t as dangerous as oral cancer but still requires medical attention. 

The treatment methods of oral cancer include surgery that may be followed by radiation therapy and chemotherapy. When the affected tissues are removed, you may need a mouth reconstruction to help with speech and swallowing.

5. Fatigue in the morning

It is unlikely that someone rooted their morning fatigue in dental health. But fatigue in the morning is one of the common symptoms of a sleep disorder called sleep apnea. This condition means that you suddenly stop breathing during the night’s sleep until your brain wakes you up. You may have several episodes of sleep apnea at night. When this condition repeatedly interrupts your sleep, you cannot reach the deep phase of sleep and wake up extremely tired.

Your dentist is specially trained to detect this condition. The doctor can suggest a special device that keeps your airways open when you sleep. This condition often affects people with obesity and who have excessive weight in the neck area.