How do I Know if I Have a Cavity?

April 15, 2018 Vincent Badali

How do I Know if I Have a Cavity?

According to the National Institutes of Health, the most prevalent health condition after the common cold is tooth decay. It’s far more than likely that if you haven’t already had a cavity, you will develop at least one in your lifetime.

So, how do you know if you have a cavity? Well, depending on the severity of your tooth decay, you may experience a variety of symptoms. Here are some of the accompanying symptoms that go along with tooth decay:

Nothing (in the early stages)
A toothache or spontaneous tooth pain
Tooth sensitivity
Pain (slight or severe) when eating something sweet, hot, or cold
Staining (brown, black, or white) on the surface of your tooth
Visible holes in your tooth. Those holes are cavities
Pain when biting down

The best time to catch a cavity is in the early stages, when there are few, if any, symptoms. Keeping your twice yearly (or more) visits with us will ensure we catch them in time. CrossKeys Dental allows you to make an appointment in the following ways:

Call the office at 585-223-8690
Email us at appointment@crosskeysdentalfairport.com
Fill out our contact form at https://www.crosskeysdentalfairport.com/contact/
Make an appointment through our patient portal at https://tinyurl.com/ydeqj6er

We will let you know the best course of treatment for your particular situation. The recommendation could be as easy as watching and waiting if we find any tooth decay in the very early stages. We’ll do our best to explain the situation while pointing out the cavities on our HD screens. If you are symptomatic, we may have to formulate a more in-depth treatment plan. This can include the need for a root canal treatment and/or crown. This is why we always recommend a regular plan for x-rays to catch cavities before they become large enough to have to consider this type of treatment.

As always, brush twice daily with a fluoride toothpaste, floss at least once a day, and try to minimize the amount of sugar in your diet. These steps will help you be proactive in preventing cavities. Even better, your teeth will thank you for it!

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CrossKeys Dental is located at 110 CrossKeys Office Park in Fairport. Dr. DuPre՛ and Dr. Badali provide comprehensive family dentistry and are always welcoming new patients. Visit us at www.CrossKeysDentalFairport.com for more information.