How can you tell you have a cavity w/out going to the dentist?

Question

I have a feeling I have one but not sure. When I eat or drink something, its like I have food going through my teeth. What can I do to prevent later cavities? I feel that my teeth arent very strong.

Answer 1

Why don't you want to go to the dentist?
With regular cleanings and examinations, you may be able to defer having to have large procedures like root canals and extractions later.
When a cavity gets to the point of pain, it is usually time for a root canal, or depending on the size/depth of the cavity, an extraction.
If you have regular check-ups, the cavity would have been filled when it was small.
To prevent cavities, brush twice daily, floss after every meal ( I keep the plastic "flossers" in my purse and car to help me remember) and don't drink sugary drinks. When you do drink a sports drink or a soft drink, drink it quickly and rinse with water. It only takes a few minutes for the acid to start decaying your teeth.
I hope this helps.
Good luck!
Hapy Holidays!

Answer 2

Some cavities are very obvious, while others can only be detected with a radiograph (x-ray). Food can get stuck between teeth due to spacing issues, cavities, or broken restorations. A cavity is often black or brown. It can be in any shape or size. A dentist uses an instrument called an explorer to touch the discoloration. If the instrument sticks (like bubble gum on the bottom of your shoe). If it does not stick, it might still be a cavity, and would require an x-ray.

Preventing cavities takes consistent brushing and flossing with proper technique, using fluoride to strengthen the enamel, regular cleanings to remove the calculus that brushing alone will not remove, and fixing cavities when they are very small before they cause large damage.

Answer 3

Most of the time a person has a cavity and dosnt even know it, that is when it is diagnosed in the early stage of decay. But once your tooth starts to hurt or is sensitive to hot or colds or when chewing it means that the cavity has developed into a deeper stage of decay, the deeper the cavity the more pain and more complex it is to treat. People that dont visit their dentist reg tend to not find their decay early and therefore find decay only when it is causing them pain...sometimes too long and then the cavity has gotten so deep into the nerve that it requires a root canal.
I would go see your dentist because ignoring the problem will only make it worse. I would treat the problem now while it is still a minor one.
To prevent decay in the future limit your sugar intake or only eat your sugar treats with meals. Sugar interacts with the saliva and causes the saliva and bacteria to become accidic the acidity in the mouth promotes a toxic enviroment for cavities to form. Taking this in mind, if you were to eat sugar all day your teeth would be under attack all day, the mouth wouldnt have a chance to become neutralized again. Also using a daily flouride rinse is a good idea if you are prone to decay. Also brush and floss especially before bed. brushing and flossing removes the bacteria that can cause tooth decay.
Most importanly have reg dental checkups to prevent tooth decay. Eat a healthy diet and reduce stress, many studies show that the body under certain circumstances attack itself therefore causing tooth decay.

Answer 4

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RE:
How can you tell you have a cavity w/out going to the dentist?
I have a feeling I have one but not sure. When I eat or drink something, its like I have food going through my teeth. What can I do to prevent later cavities? I feel that my teeth arent very strong.

Answer 5

I would imagine if you eat something sugary it would hurt like heck at the point of the cavity. When you're at the dentists office ask him/her what you can do to prevent cavities. I'm sure the answer is going to be close to brush your teeth often. Remember, it's not how much sugar you get on your teeth, it's how long is stays on your teeth. So brush at least twice a day because plak starts to harm your teeth after approximately 12 hours.

Answer 6

If your tooth is decaying the surface becomes soft, so if the dentist poked it with an instrument and it stuck that is a sign thereis a cavity. But some cavities are un noticable, the only way to be certian is to have Xrays done to accurately diagnose decay.

Answer 7

Have someone look at it with a magnifying glass. They might need to use a small mirror, depending on where the painful tooth is. They should be able to see a small, dark cavity if it is there. I've had one cavity, and I could actually see it in the mirror myself before I had it filled.

Answer 8

Two of the signs of a cavity include bad breath, (decaying tooth) and pain. To prevent cavities, make sure you get enough calcium in your diet, rinse your mouth with water after drinking or eating things with sugar in them if you can't brush your teeth after every meal.

Answer 9

When I have a cavity, anytime I eat sugar it BURNS! Make sure you brush, floss and use a mouthwash that helps prevent cavities.

Answer 10

i can tell if you have like black stuff on the tooth. some of my friends say they have one and sure enough there is like some type of black stuff on them probably from all the sugary substances.. hope this helped ohh yeah and when u brush and it hurts then u probably have one