Regular, routine dental checkups and cleanings are vital to achieving excellent oral health. Why? These visits not only help keep problems from arising, like tooth decay or gum disease, but they also allow problems to be treated while they are least invasively and least costly to resolve.

In addition, there are signs that indicate you should come in to be seen before your next scheduled appointment. As always, you can give our KidsKare P.C. team a call to see if a visit is warranted. Meanwhile, following is a list of symptoms that you should be on the lookout for:

1- If you are having abnormal pain in your mouth, face or neck area, something is off and should be evaluated.

2- If your gums are suddenly swelling or bleeding when you brush and floss as part of your daily oral hygiene care.

3- If you have become hesitant to smile because of a lost tooth, or discoloration on your teeth, it’s time to do something about it. Teeth can be replaced or whitened and give you the confidence to feel good about your smile again.

4- If you are pregnant and your gums are hurting, be sure to keep your dental checkups. Hormones or acid in the mouth due to morning sickness can all impact your teeth and gums during this important time.

5- If you have pain when you chew or swallow, something is definitely not right. Come in to be seen, and meanwhile, protect your teeth by consuming a soft food or liquid diet until you can be treated.

6- If you are suddenly having a persistently dry mouth, you may have an underlying medical condition or may be experiencing a side effect of a medication which might need changing.

7- If you are feeling pain in your jaw when you open and close it, it should be looked at. Your bite should also be examined if you are hearing popping noises or feeling pain when chewing.

8- If you have unusual sores in the mouth which aren’t healing after a couple of weeks, you should be seen. There may be a bacterial infection, or you may have a virus, fungus or disease.

Unusual activity in your mouth should not be ignored. For timely treatment, we invite you to reach out to us with your concerns by calling call 575-532-5437 for a location nearest you. Our experienced dentists are always here to help you protect your oral health.