fitting family dental visits into a crazy schedule

3 Surprising Signs It May Be Time To See A Dentist

by Andre Daniels

Both adults and children should see a dentist on a regular basis, at least annually if not more often. A good dental cleaning and exam can keep teeth and gums healthy and ensure problems with oral health don't progress to something serious. If you have a toothache or bleeding from the gums or other obvious problem then of course you also want to make an appointment with a dentist. However, there are also other times when you should call your local dentist. Consider the following.

1. When you snore excessively

Occasionally snoring is normal and not necessarily dangerous, but excessive snoring can damage the vocal cords and interrupt your sleep and the sleep of any bedmate you may have. This can interfere with your overall health, as uninterrupted sleep is vital for everyone, every night.

If you snore excessively, talk to your dentist. He or she may be able to fit you with a mouth guard that keeps your mouth from falling open at night or may be able to remove some fatty tissue from the upper part of your mouth, which may be contributing to your snoring.

2. If you have jaw pain outside your mouth

Jaw pain on the outside of your mouth may be caused by an overbite, so that your teeth don't rest on each other as they should. It might also be caused by any other type of unevenness in the jaw line which in turn puts stress and strain on the muscles, causing stiffness and soreness.

A mouth guard can also help alleviate this discomfort by supporting the muscles of the jaw so they can relax and not be overworked. The jaw will rest more easily as you sleep or throughout the day. This will mean less overall pain outside the jaw line and even around the neck and shoulders.

3. If you have excessive bad breath

When someone has chronic bad breath they often assume they need to brush and floss more often, and this can certainly help with the problem but it may not be a permanent solution. Bad breath can be the result of gum disease, impacted wisdom teeth, rotted teeth, infected tonsils, and a host of other concerns that are best addressed by a dentist. Rather than assuming that you're just not brushing enough, make an appointment at places like Barnstable Dental Associates for a full checkup and tell your dentist about your bad breath. He or she can get to the root of the problem and correct it permanently.

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