Do Cavities Hurt? Yes, no, sometimes, always, never…it just depends. They are different for everyone. Cavities in Hoover AL dental patients do not present with any symptoms until they are quite large.

In fact, I have seen many teeth with cavities so large that they were abscessed and yet there was never any pain or sensitivity present. Of course there are those on the complete other side of the spectrum as well.

My wife is a great example. She told me she had a cavity about a year before I could detect anything (and we use magnified vision and the most modern equipment to detect cavities). Some people are just like that though. One of the biggest complaints I have as a dentist is when I get the response, “it doesn’t hurt.”

I can detect a cavity and even show pictures, x-rays, etc to the patient, so they can see the cavity for themselves and then the response I get is: “it doesn’t hurt.” And this is used in the context of, “it doesn’t hurt, therefore it doesn’t exist.” This is very poor reasoning.

Cavities Hoover Dental Patients

I believe it doesn’t hurt…it may never hurt, but there is a problem that needs addressed while it still can. There are so many factors involved that determine whether or not there will be pain associated with a cavity. So the presence (or absence) of pain should never be the deciding factor.

One of the biggest struggles I face as a dentist is the daily battle to convince people that they need to floss. I tell patients that if they are not flossing, then about 40% of their teeth surfaces are not getting cleaned.  Flossing in the shower can be an easy remedy.

I tell them that bacteria are just continually sitting there breeding, eating, and growing. I tell them about the cavities, periodontal disease, bad breath, and systemic complications that not flossing leads to. Rarely does this pleading make a difference.

People know they need to floss more and they know the reasons why; they just aren’t doing it. Why? It’s mostly because they haven’t taken the time to make it a habit. Will power alone will only get people to floss regularly for a very short period of time. They have to form a habit, so it becomes a natural part of their daily routine.

So what do I suggest? Well, here’s one idea:

Flossing In The Shower.

Here are a few reasons why:

1. Showering is most likely a natural part of your daily routine. By flossing in the shower you can “piggyback” onto this already natural habit in order to develop a new one.

2. By sitting a floss package in your shower it will stay visible and remind you that it needs to be done.

3. People often feel that they do not have time to floss. I can relate to this. However, people rarely feel rushed in the shower. If you don’t feel rushed, you are more likely to do the things you need to do.

I know it sounds kind of goofy, but give it a try. The result could literally be life-changing.

Hoover Dental X-rays are a crucial part of diagnosis and treatment in oral health.  Dental x-rays allow a dentist to view structures that are not visible to the naked eye.  This could be, because they are between teeth, under soft tissue, or within the bone.  Having  x-rays taking, some conditions can be detected or diagnosed.

Hoover Dental x-rays help check for:

• Cavities
• Periodontal Disease
• Infections and abscesses
• Cysts
• Tumors
• Cancer

What about the radiation?

In addition, with advancements in technology, especially digital systems, x-rays require very low dose radiation.  A typical dental x-raytaken digitally exposes a patient to less than 0.5 mrem.

Finally, to put things in perspective, an average resident of the U.S. receives over 360 mrem every year from background sources. This comes from all over the place: outer space, radioactive materials in the earth, small amounts of radioactive material in foods and products that we use, even over people. Variances in lifestyle likewise cause variances in each individual’s total exposure. For example: an individual who flies often is exposed to more background radiation than someone who does not.

Why are dental x-rays important

You should always limit x-ray radiation exposure, when possible. Dental x-rays are very low dose and are crucial for proper diagnosis. By being proactive, x-rays can detect much of the oral cavity in your mouth.

One of the most common phrases we hear our dental patients say is “I wish I would have taken better care of my teeth.” Helping kids enjoy healthier dental habits early on, will increase their chances of having a healthier smile.

Many instances we tell kids “brush and floss and don’t eat candy or you’re going to get cavities.”  Sometimes, it’s hard to help children, who understandably see the world with a “here and now” vision.

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Helping Kids Enjoy Healthy Dental Habits

As an effort to motivate children to take care of their teeth, you have to show through your own actions.  If you realize the importance of preventative care today, the long term positive effects will be evident later on.

So while it is very important to teach our children about prevention and the consequences of not doing so, it can be equally as important to supplement that with positive reinforcement to help them learn to enjoy the preventative dental measures themselves.

If we can teach our children to actually enjoy healthy habits at a young age, instead of just using scare tactics to avoid unhealthy habits, they will certainly have a more solid foundation for a lifetime of choosing a healthy path.

Helping Kids Enjoy Healthy Dental Habit tips:

• Have an assortment of healthy and natural “treats” (carrot sticks, fruit pieces, etc) available.
• Allow the child to be part of the decision making process.
• Be a good role model in what your choices and habits are.
• Use fun dental hygiene products! Tooth Tunes toothbrushes are an excellent example. It plays music when the brush touches the teeth. Having fun while brushing positively reinforces the habit, whether they understand the concept of prevention or not.

Headaches and Teeth! Did you know that many headaches are actually linked to your teeth? Bruxism is a term to describe the clenching and grinding of teeth. When a person clenches or grinds their teeth together, muscles that control the movement of the jaws become sore and painful.

The muscles (in particular the temporalis and masseter muscles) become very sore and cause painful tension-type headaches. Facial pain is also frequent symptom with bruxism.

Bruxism is sparked by stress, anxiety and bite abnormalities.

Headaches can be linked to your Teeth

Treatment can significantly reduce the frequency or severity of the headaches and/or facial pain. The most common form of treatment is a dental appliance that can control your bite and jaw position. This will help protect the teeth and distribute the forces of bruxism. Furthermore, it will ease the tension off of the muscles, and in some cases stop the bruxism habit all together.

Dental devices can really help the symptoms. Moreover, stress management and/or therapy can be very beneficial to get to the source of the problem. Also, check if the source is a bite abnormality.

Make dental visits a part of your lifestyle. We recommend to Maintain normal dental visits early on in life. Continuing dental visits throughout the early part of your life is a great way to start a good oral hygiene.