How to recognize a cavity? 5 tips!

Cavities can, if left untreated, cause severe pain. Here are five ways to quickly recognize them.

According to the WHO, dental caries is a major public health problem. In fact, this problem ranks among the ten most common chronic diseases.

It affects both milk teeth and permanent teeth, therefore, both children and adults.

Caries is an infectious disease that has a bacterial origin. It gradually destroys the tooth by demineralizing the hard tissues. It always moves from the outside to the inside of the tooth, digging a “hole”.

Caries develops because of four facts:

The bacterial dental plaque which forms on the surface of the tooth after each food intake;
Field : teeth whose enamel is thin, poorly mineralized or worn, are less resistant to the acids of bacterial plaque;
Food : if it is rich in acid, it promotes the demineralization of the enamel;
The weather : if the previous three factors are present, time increases the risk of developing a cavity.

To recognize them, there are several tips.

Caries causing pain

Caries develop in several stages. Learning to recognize them is important, it allows you to treat them quickly and limit the damage.

So, certain symptoms should alert you, such as:

An increase in the sensitivity of the teeth to contact with acidic, cold or hot foods;
Decay can also be spotted by a yellowish or brown discoloration of the tooth;
At first, the pain from contact with food is temporary. The pain gradually intensifies as the cavity deepens. The pain is constant when the decay has reached the heart of the tooth;
The pains are severe. The tooth is sensitive to pressure;
The pain leads to night pain: this is called toothache.

Bad breath can also be caused by a cavity. It is most often caused by poor oral hygiene. However, it can also come from digestion problems.