Cavity Symptoms: When You Should Not Put Off Treatment

Many people put off a visit to the dentist until a tooth really starts to hurt. But cavity symptoms may appear earlier, for example as sensitivity or spots. We just do not always pay attention to them.

In this article we have collected the signs of cavities that patients most often come to us with. We also explain when an examination should not wait.

Tooth decay is one of the most common dental problems and often develops unnoticed. What are the symptoms of a cavity at the start? Often there are none. In the early stages a person may feel no pain, so the visit is put off.

That is why it helps to know the first tooth decay symptoms. At the initial stage a cavity is treated as gently and quickly as possible, without complex procedures.

If the first cavity symptoms are not noticed in time, the damage can spread deeper, to the nerve or even the bone. Treatment then becomes longer, more expensive and more complicated.

What are the symptoms of tooth decay? Below are the most common ones.

1. Increased tooth sensitivity

One of the first signals is an unpleasant reaction to cold, hot, sweet or sour food. At first it may be slight discomfort that passes quickly. Many people ignore these symptoms of a cavity in a tooth and consider them normal.

In fact, sensitivity often points to early damage to the enamel, the hard outer layer of the tooth. This makes the tooth vulnerable to irritants. If you do not see a dentist at this stage, the process can progress quickly.

2. Dark spots or a change in enamel color

A cavity can show up as white, yellowish or dark spots on the tooth surface. Sometimes it looks like a small dot or stripe that does not disappear after cleaning.

Such changes point to demineralisation of the enamel (loss of minerals), which is the first stage of the destruction of the tooth. At this stage treatment is usually minimal and does not need a deep intervention.

3. Bad breath that does not go away after brushing

Persistent bad breath can be one of the cavity infection symptoms. It may point to an active bacterial process in the mouth. Cavities collect food debris and bacteria, and this becomes the source of the smell.

If the problem keeps coming back even with normal hygiene, have an examination. The dentist can rule out a hidden cavity or inflammation.

4. Food getting stuck between the teeth

If food keeps getting stuck in the same place, there may already be a cavity there. Or the contact between the teeth is broken. This can be one of the symptoms of a cavity between teeth.

Besides the discomfort, it raises the risk of gum inflammation and further destruction of the tooth tissue.

5. Cavity pain symptoms: when chewing or biting

Pain when you bite down is an alarming symptom. It may mean that the cavity has already reached the deep layers of the tooth and affects the nerve or the ligaments (the fibres that hold the tooth in the bone).

In such cases treatment may need more than a filling. It may need endodontic treatment, that is, root canal treatment.