Interactive · Patient education
Point to where it is.
Hover or tap a numbered area on the chart. Each one explains what you may be feeling or seeing, what it may mean, and what a sensible next step looks like: in plain words, without alarm.
Start with what you are noticing.
Each number explains what you may be feeling or seeing, what it may mean, and the sensible next step — which is sometimes a page on this site, sometimes a visit, and occasionally urgent care elsewhere.
A chip, a gap, a stain, a tooth out of line
What you may notice
A corner that chipped, a gap you have always had, a tooth that sits a little forward, or a shade that brushing does not change.
What it may mean
Front teeth take the knocks and show the most. A chip may be a small bonding repair; a gap or a crooked tooth may be a question for orthodontics; a dull or yellowed shade is often surface staining, or, when a single tooth has darkened, something inside the tooth worth checking.
A sensible next step
An examination decides which it is. For colour, the tooth is examined before any whitening is discussed, because a darkened tooth needs a different answer.
A sharp twinge with cold, sweet or air
What you may notice
Ice water, a cold breeze, a sweet bite: a short, sharp sensation that fades in seconds. Often near the gum line, often one or two teeth.
What it may mean
The root surface below the enamel is softer and has tiny channels to the nerve. When gum recession, brushing wear or a small notch exposes it, cold reaches the nerve directly. Sensitivity that lingers after the cold has gone, or that wakes you, is a different pattern and worth saying so.
A sensible next step
Most sensitivity settles with a soft brush, a gentle technique, a sensitivity toothpaste and a professional look at the cause. Say which teeth, and what sets it off.
A dark spot, a hole, food that keeps catching
What you may notice
A brown or dark mark on a back tooth, a rough edge your tongue finds, food packing between two teeth, or a dull ache after sweets.
What it may mean
Decay softens enamel from a small point inward. It is painless for a long time, which is why it is usually found at a check-up or on an X-ray rather than felt. Caught early it is a small filling; left, it reaches the nerve and the answer becomes a root canal or a crown.
A sensible next step
An examination with an X-ray where needed shows how deep it goes. The earlier it is found, the smaller the treatment.
Gums that bleed when you brush
What you may notice
Pink on the toothbrush or in the sink, gums that look puffy or redder at the edge, a taste in the morning.
What it may mean
Bleeding is the gum reacting to plaque left at the gum line: gingivitis. At this stage it is fully reversible. It is common, and it is also the one sign that is easiest to brush around instead of toward. During pregnancy, gums often bleed more easily for a while.
A sensible next step
A professional clean and a demonstration of where the brush is missing usually settle it within weeks. If bleeding continues, the gum is measured to see whether it has gone deeper.
Teeth that look longer, or feel slightly loose
What you may notice
More tooth showing than before, a notch at the gum line, spaces opening between teeth, or a tooth that moves a little under your finger.
What it may mean
Gums recede for two different reasons: brushing too hard over years, or gum disease that has reached the bone beneath. The first is a surface matter; the second is periodontitis, which is slow and rarely painful. A loose tooth means the bone that holds it has changed and is worth measuring.
A sensible next step
Measuring the gum pockets and an X-ray of the bone tells the two apart. Both can be managed at any age; what changes is how closely maintenance is kept.
An ache that lingers, throbs, or wakes you
What you may notice
Pain that stays after hot or cold has gone, that comes on its own in the evening, that throbs when you lie down, or a tooth that hurts to bite on.
What it may mean
Lingering or spontaneous pain usually means the nerve inside the tooth is inflamed, from deep decay, a crack, or an old filling. Pain on biting can be a crack or an infection at the root tip. These are the patterns that tend not to settle on their own.
A sensible next step
This is a same-day or next-day conversation rather than a wait-and-see one. Call during clinic hours; a root canal keeps the tooth in most of these cases. Swelling that affects the eye, the neck or your breathing is urgent care elsewhere, not a dental appointment.
A broken tooth, a cracked filling, a crown that came off
What you may notice
A piece of tooth or filling in your hand, a sharp edge, a crown that lifted off while eating, or a tooth that feels different when you bite.
What it may mean
Teeth with large old fillings crack more easily because less natural tooth remains. A lost crown is rarely an emergency if the tooth is not painful, but the exposed tooth is softer than it looks and should be covered soon. Keep the piece: a crown can often be re-cemented.
A sensible next step
Book within a few days, sooner if it hurts. Avoid chewing on that side and keep the crown in a clean container. The page below says what to do in the meantime.
A gap where a tooth used to be
What you may notice
A tooth removed years ago, a space that catches food, neighbouring teeth that have started to lean, or chewing that has moved to one side.
What it may mean
A gap is not only a gap. Over time the teeth beside it tilt and the tooth above or below drifts, and the bone under the space slowly thins. None of this is urgent, but each year narrows the options a little.
A sensible next step
Implants, bridges and well-fitting dentures each have a place; what suits you depends on bone, gums, general health and preference, and the choice is yours. An assessment with an X-ray sets out all three.
Pressure or soreness right at the back
What you may notice
A dull pressure behind the last molar, a flap of gum that gets sore or swells now and then, difficulty opening wide, or an ache that spreads toward the ear, usually between the late teens and the thirties.
What it may mean
Wisdom teeth come through last and often do not have room, so they tilt or only partly emerge. A partly emerged tooth is hard to clean, and the gum over it can become inflamed in episodes. Many wisdom teeth never cause trouble and are simply kept under review.
A sensible next step
An X-ray shows how the tooth is lying and whether it is likely to settle. Removal is planned, not rushed, unless infection keeps returning.
Crowded teeth, or a bite that does not meet evenly
What you may notice
Front teeth that overlap, teeth that are hard to floss between, an upper tooth that sits behind a lower one, or a bite that feels higher on one side.
What it may mean
Crowding and bite differences are common and often inherited. They matter for two reasons: crowded teeth are harder to keep clean, and an uneven bite can wear teeth or tire the jaw. Children, teenagers and adults can all be assessed.
A sensible next step
An orthodontic assessment, rather than a photograph, decides whether fixed braces or clear aligners suit the case, and whether anything needs doing at all.
A clicking jaw, a tired jaw, a sore morning
What you may notice
A click or pop when you open wide, a jaw that feels tired after chewing, an ache in front of the ear, or teeth that feel tender when you wake.
What it may mean
The jaw joint sits just in front of the ear. Clicking on its own is common and usually harmless. Morning soreness often points to clenching or grinding during sleep, which also wears the biting edges of teeth over time.
A sensible next step
Mention it at a check-up. The joint, the muscles and the wear on your teeth are looked at together; a night guard is one of the simpler answers where grinding is the cause.
A dry mouth, a coated tongue, a persistent taste
What you may notice
A mouth that feels dry or sticky, waking up thirsty, a whitish coating on the tongue, or a breath concern that mouthwash does not shift.
What it may mean
Saliva protects teeth between meals. Many everyday medicines reduce it, and a dry mouth makes decay and gum problems more likely. Persistent bad breath usually starts at the gum line or on the tongue rather than in the stomach.
A sensible next step
Sip water through the day, clean the tongue gently, and tell your dentist which medicines you take: it changes how often a review is sensible. The gums are checked, because they are the most common source.
General information from a dental practice. It cannot tell you what you personally have — that takes an examination. If you are in pain today, please call rather than read on.
The twelve areas
The same explanations, as a list.
A chip, a gap, a stain, a tooth out of line
A corner that chipped, a gap you have always had, a tooth that sits a little forward, or a shade that brushing does not change.
Veneers and bonding 02 · SENSITIVITYA sharp twinge with cold, sweet or air
Ice water, a cold breeze, a sweet bite: a short, sharp sensation that fades in seconds. Often near the gum line, often one or two teeth.
Receding gums and loose teeth 03 · CAVITIES AND DECAYA dark spot, a hole, food that keeps catching
A brown or dark mark on a back tooth, a rough edge your tongue finds, food packing between two teeth, or a dull ache after sweets.
Dental check-up 04 · GUMSGums that bleed when you brush
Pink on the toothbrush or in the sink, gums that look puffy or redder at the edge, a taste in the morning.
How gum disease damages the bone under your teeth 05 · GUMSTeeth that look longer, or feel slightly loose
More tooth showing than before, a notch at the gum line, spaces opening between teeth, or a tooth that moves a little under your finger.
Receding gums and loose teeth 06 · PAINAn ache that lingers, throbs, or wakes you
Pain that stays after hot or cold has gone, that comes on its own in the evening, that throbs when you lie down, or a tooth that hurts to bite on.
Dental emergency 07 · DENTAL ISSUESA broken tooth, a cracked filling, a crown that came off
A piece of tooth or filling in your hand, a sharp edge, a crown that lifted off while eating, or a tooth that feels different when you bite.
Broken tooth or lost crown 08 · DENTAL ISSUESA gap where a tooth used to be
A tooth removed years ago, a space that catches food, neighbouring teeth that have started to lean, or chewing that has moved to one side.
Missing teeth and what the options are 09 · DENTAL ISSUESPressure or soreness right at the back
A dull pressure behind the last molar, a flap of gum that gets sore or swells now and then, difficulty opening wide, or an ache that spreads toward the ear, usually between the late teens and the thirties.
Wisdom tooth removal 10 · BITE AND ALIGNMENTCrowded teeth, or a bite that does not meet evenly
Front teeth that overlap, teeth that are hard to floss between, an upper tooth that sits behind a lower one, or a bite that feels higher on one side.
Braces and aligners 11 · JAWA clicking jaw, a tired jaw, a sore morning
A click or pop when you open wide, a jaw that feels tired after chewing, an ache in front of the ear, or teeth that feel tender when you wake.
Dental check-up 12 · MOUTHA dry mouth, a coated tongue, a persistent taste
A mouth that feels dry or sticky, waking up thirsty, a whitish coating on the tongue, or a breath concern that mouthwash does not shift.
Dental and gum care in later life