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Health & Fitness

Cavities Amongst Students on the Rise - How to Spot the Early Signs

With poor oral hygiene, we all should know that the resulting tooth decay can cause significant damage to the tooth structure. It is a serious condition that requires diligence on the part of parents, as cavities affect people of all ages and it should be noted that research shows an increase of tooth decay among students, as diets tend to include more sugary foods and snacks. For this reason, it is essential to identify the early signs of cavities in order to find the right treatment on time.

Dental caries may not have any evident signs during the initial phases. As such, many students end up loosing their teeth because of their inability to detect the cavity in its early stages. Take note that it could take up to three years for dental caries to become visible. Usually, the signs of tooth decay start showing themselves once the bacteria reaches the pulp area.

The initial dental caries sign involves the impacted toothache each time the student eats cold or sugary foods. All through this phase, a toothache could affect them from time to time when flossing or brushing their teeth or taking hot or cold drinks. However, this ache may not last long and it goes away almost completely.

Other than the toothache, the early signs of cavities could include a foul breath or sour taste in the mouth. In addition, a loose dental filling could also be another early sign to watch out for. This is because the dental filling dislodge usually provides the free harmful bacteria with access to the tooth cavity and this creates a warm and moist breeding environment. Also note that misaligned and damaged teeth also eventually develop into tooth decay.

So, the major dental cavities symptoms are mainly associated with abscess growth on the tooth. This is a gum tissue pocket that is usually loaded with oral plus that is mainly developed as a result of the dental cavities that cause the extensive life activity of the harmful bacteria. As such, the child starts feeling acute and intractable toothache that is associated with severe inflammation. Usually, at this stage of teeth cavities, the dentist should notice some tiny chalky area on the impacted tooth. This is a primary sign of the degeneration of the second enamel layer. As the cavities move on, the spot turns brown and there after black at the later stages.

With the progression of the tooth abscess, the signs will become more advanced and they include swollen gums, mild fever and in some cases swollen jaws. The jaw of the patient becomes tender and it aches. Normally, the jaw swells because of severe oral cavity inflammatory procedure. Take note that any spots on the tooth become more visible and take on a brown or black shade. Also the pain becomes more severe and consistent.

Usually, the advanced signs of tooth cavities among students results to tooth loss and it could also cause a serious inflammation of the upper respiratory system, which will call for emergency oral care. So, it is necessary to seek treatment immediately any early signs of tooth decay become evident.

Early treatment, and regular check ups with your Aldie dentist for children, will definitely save students, and parents, from from going through exorbitant dental costs and tooth loss.

About the Author

Dr. Sowmya Kanumilli is an experienced family and cosmetic dentist in Aldie, Virginia. Connect with her on Google+

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