While most people know that a broken tooth is a serious cause for dental concern, few realize that there are other signs of dental problems that can be easy to overlook. When you understand what various dental issues mean, you'll be able to easily recognize when you need to seek dental care. Here's a look at some of the symptoms that you need to be attentive to so that you can address them right away. 

Pain In Your Jaw

Persistent pain in your jaw can be troubling, not to mention bothersome. If you've been struggling with jaw fatigue and pain but can't seem to isolate the source, you should reach out to a dentist for an exam. In many cases, this kind of persistent pain and fatigue is the result of bruxism, which means you are grinding your teeth and tensing your jaw in your sleep. Over time, this wears on your teeth and your jaw, causing persistent pain and discomfort. 

Your dentist can diagnose bruxism based on the wear on your teeth and an x-ray of your jaw. A mouthguard can help to ease the symptoms by creating a protective barrier between your teeth so that you don't cause further damage. Don't overlook these symptoms because bruxism can cause excessive tooth wear and the potential for cracked or otherwise damaged teeth when it is left untreated.

Chronic Headaches

One thing that many people fail to connect to dental problems is chronic headaches. You might think that your headaches are a result of stress, vision problems, or other issues when, in fact, your headaches are a result of problems with a tooth. 

When you have an infected, inflamed, or damaged tooth, sometimes the pain can radiate into other areas, including down the side of your neck and also into your head. That's part of why some tooth pain is hard to isolate to its source. If you have any reason to suspect that you might have a dental problem and have been suffering from frequent or significant headaches, talk with a dentist for more help. 

Dry Mouth

Sometimes, people dismiss dry mouth symptoms as a sign of dehydration or as a result of environmental air issues. The truth is that persistent dry mouth issues can be a sign of dental health problems, and can also cause further issues as well.

When left unaddressed, dry mouth can allow excessive bacteria to accumulate in your mouth. This can lead to gum disease and other dental infections. Your dentist can prescribe a mouth rinse to help treat dry mouth and may be able to identify the underlying cause to treat that as well.

Talk with your dentist right away if you are experiencing any of these problems. The more proactive you are, the better your dental health will be.