Cavities are a common dental problem, but many people do not realise that they have a cavity until they visit the dentist and are told that they need a dental filling. By tuning into the signals that your mouth is trying to send, you could become aware of a cavity at a very early stage, which means that you can get treatment before it grows. Here are a few symptoms of dental cavities that you should never ignore.

1. Toothache

Ongoing pain in one of your teeth is one of the most common symptoms of a cavity. If the toothache is severe, preventing you from sleeping or eating, then you should consider it a dental emergency and schedule an appointment with an emergency dentist as soon as possible.

Mild toothache is not a dental emergency, but you still should not ignore it. Schedule an appointment with your regular dentist to find out what the problem is.

2. Sensitivity to Hot, Cold, and Sweets

Some people naturally have sensitive teeth that react painfully to foods that are very hot, very cold, or very sweet. However, sensitivity can also be a symptom of a dental cavity. If one or more of your teeth suddenly become sensitive to hot, cold, and sweets, you should schedule an appointment with a dentist to get them checked for cavities.

3. A Pit or Hole in the Tooth

If you notice the chewing surface of your tooth becoming deeply pitted or a hole developing on the side of the tooth, schedule an appointment with your dentist as soon as possible. Holes and pits in the teeth are clear signs of cavities starting to develop. The sooner you get treatment, the more of the tooth the dentist will be able to save. If you delay for too long, the decay could spread into the inside of the tooth, leading to you needing a root canal treatment or even a tooth extraction.

4. Stains on the Teeth

Cavities often present originally as white spots on the teeth. As the decay progresses, these white spots can turn into dark stains. These stains could be any shade of brown or even black.

Get into the habit of taking a look at your teeth after you brush them every day. By paying attention to the way your teeth look, you could spot the visible signs of a cavity as soon as they appear.