Cavities have long been one of the most annoying things to plague mouths since the beginning of humankind. Front teeth cavities can be some of the most annoying because it’s hard to tell exactly what causes them and whether you have sensitive teeth or bad cavities.
If you suspect you’ve got front cavities or you’re concerned about them, there are several things you can do to try and prevent them from getting worse or running their course.
Causes for Front Tooth Cavity:
A lot of the causes for front tooth cavities are similar or the same as the causes for all other cavities. As you probably know, that list includes things like:
- Eating sugary foods and drinks
- Not brushing your teeth enough
- Poor dental hygiene
- Acid reflux
- Not getting enough fluoride
These are all pretty common front tooth cavity causes, but they aren’t just specific to front teeth. There are a few things that can contribute to front tooth cavities but not as much to other types of cavities.
- Grinding your teeth
- Chewing on things that you shouldn’t
- Drinking beverages that are very high in acid
Yes, these things can cause problems with some of your teeth that aren’t in the front of your mouth, but it’s more common to experience them in the front of your mouth.
Kids are also at high risk for a lot of these cavities if they’re drinking a lot of sugary beverages or if they’re allowed to sleep with their sippy cups and bottles that are filled with beverages such as juice, milk, and other high sugar beverages.
Signs You Have a Front Tooth Cavity
The most common front tooth cavity symptom is pain. You might feel a sharp pain when you’re eating or drinking something hot, cold, sweet, or sour. But there are other symptoms and signs that you’ll be able to feel if you’re careful to look out for them.
Signs you might have a cavity:
- Sensitivity to temperatures
- Visible holes or pits in your teeth
- Brown, white, or black spots on your teeth
- Bad breath that doesn’t go away no matter how much you brush
- Tender or swollen gums
- Receding gum lines
Any of these signs will give you a pretty sure-fire sign that you’ve got a cavity. But, each of these signs won’t start showing up until you’ve had a cavity for some time.
The best way to avoid front tooth cavities is to take care of your teeth and see your dentist regularly. If you do have a front tooth cavity, the sooner you get it taken care of, the better. Your dentist can sometimes even prevent a cavity from getting worse at all by cleaning and taking care of your teeth.
How to Prevent Front Tooth Cavities
There’s a lot you can do to keep your teeth and mouth healthy. Keeping your mouth healthy is one of the first steps to ensuring that you won’t get front tooth cavities. Here are some tips to help prevent front tooth cavities:
- Brush your teeth at least two times a day
- Floss daily to help prevent anything from being missed by your toothbrush
- See your dentist regularly for cleanings and checkups
- Use fluoride toothpaste to help prevent cavities
- Eat healthy foods that are low in sugar
- Limit sugary drinks like soda, sports drinks, and sweetened coffees and teas
- Chew sugarless gum to help increase saliva flow
Eating healthy foods is another way that you can help reduce your risk for front tooth cavities. Foods like cheese, milk, plain yogurt, nuts, and leafy greens are all great for helping to keep teeth healthy.
Front tooth cavities don’t have to be the end of the world, but they can be pretty annoying. If you think you might have a front tooth cavity, visit your dentist and have them take a look. Treatment for these cavities isn’t the end of the world either.
Treating Front Tooth Cavities
When you’ve determined that you truly do have a front tooth cavity, then getting it treated will be the next top priority. The good news is that front tooth cavities are pretty common and easy to treat.
First, your dentist will need to clean out the cavity and work to prep it for a filling. Then, they’ll choose the type of filling material that will work best. After that, they’ll apply the filling and make sure it’s secure.
In some cases, you’ll be able to choose what filling you want for the cavity. Here are some of the options that you can choose from:
- Silver amalgam fillings
- Composite resin fillings
- Glass isomer
- Gold
- Porcelain
Most of the pros and cons of these fillings are the same, no matter what tooth you place them on. But, keep in mind that you’ll want to choose a durable and long-lasting filling because your front teeth work hard.
Choose Wayzata Dental for Your Dental Treatments
At Wayzata Dental, we offer a variety of dental treatments for our patients. Whether you’re in need of a cleaning, check-up, or more serious treatment like a front tooth cavity filling, we can help.
We understand that many people don’t love going to the dentist, but we do everything that we can to make your experience as positive as possible. Our laser dentistry treatments go above and beyond to provide the best possible care from day one.
Contact us today to learn more or schedule an appointment.