Achieving good health in any aspect of your life is a collaborative effort between you and the practitioners who help you maintain your wellness. This includes our teeth and general oral health. We maintain our dental health by taking care of our teeth as is recommended and advised. We brush our teeth, floss and eat well as a way to avoid developing disease. In order for us to truly achieve optimal health, we need to do the work and then our doctors and dentists help us along. We need to know our bodies well so that we can spot areas of concern. Even if we don’t necessarily identify what the problem is, we can see if there are any irregularities or areas of concern that we can then let our doctors know.
You’re not going to go to the dentist every single day, and in the space between appointments looking after your teeth and making sure they are in good condition is up to you.
But in order for you to be able to identify dental concerns, it’s important that we go beyond the usual day-to-day maintenance, we also need to pay close attention to our teeth, and learn how to examine them, just to make sure everything is okay. Some dental issues, like pain and sensitivity are obvious because we feel them. This is why it’s so important that we learn to examine our own teeth regularly so that we can quickly check if everything is okay. Bear in mind, this doesn’t take the place of regular dental appointments, but that it actually just helps your dentist.
So how do you do a quick dental examination on yourself? Read on to find out.
How to Check If You Have a Dental Cavity
One of the best ways to identify dental issues is to see if there is any pain and sensitivity under different temperatures. If you notice that you have sensitivity and pain after drinking a glass of cold water, or a cup of hot tea or coffee this could be a sign of a cavity. Pinpoint exactly which tooth it is so that when you can mention it to the dentist and book an appointment to resolve it.
Do a Mirror Check
Did you know that many people can have a problem tooth and not even know it until it’s rotten? This is very common with wisdom teeth. To look for any issues, stand in front of a mirror, open your mouth wide and then tilt your head up so that you can see your back teeth. Use a small flashlight or even your phone’s torch if you really need to see. What you’re looking for are teeth that have darkened and cavities.
Identify Gum Health Issues
When you do a mirror check, don’t forget to look at your gums too. Gum disease is one of the most common dental health problems and if you spot it early, it can get addressed before it becomes more serious. Look at your gums and see if there is any redness, swelling, recession or white spots. These are telltale signs of gum disease and if you suspect that you have it, call your dentist.
Taking care of your teeth shouldn’t be something we only think about when it’s almost time for your dental appointment, or just a few days after it. It’s a daily commitment we need to uphold through our habits, and knowing our bodies well enough to be able to identify and areas of concern. If you think you need to get your concern dealt with, get in touch with our team.
