Papatya Dental · Knowledge
You don't need to know the name of the condition. Select what you feel and we'll narrow down the likely causes together.
Symptom Finder
Tick everything that applies. Likely causes are ranked as you select, starting with the closest match.
Likely causes
Select at least one symptom and the likely causes will be listed here.
This tool does not diagnose. Symptoms overlap between conditions, and only an examination gives a definitive answer.
Grouped by area. You don't need to know the name of the condition. Select what you feel and we'll narrow down the likely causes together.
The large majority of cases originate in the mouth itself, which means the solution is there too.
Swelling that spreads beyond the tooth means the infection has entered surrounding tissue and needs assessment within hours.
A jaw that hurts on waking and eases through the day points to muscles that worked all night.
A painless click is usually monitored; locking is not something to wait out.
Fullness and pressure at the very back of the jaw is usually a wisdom tooth trying to come through.
Most mouth sores heal by themselves within two weeks. One that does not is the single finding never to wait out.
A metallic or foul taste that brushing does not clear is often a sign of pus draining.
Dryness is not merely uncomfortable; it raises the risk of decay and gum disease together.
Burning felt with no visible sore is usually linked to dryness, a fungal overgrowth or a deficiency.
Numbness continuing after an anaesthetic has worn off means pressure on a nerve, and it is not waited out.
A sudden reduction in mouth opening means either an infection has reached the muscles or the joint has locked.
A patch that wipes away and one that does not are two different matters. Telling them apart matters.
In a good share of patients who arrive with earache and nothing found in the ear, the source is the jaw.
Pain that starts on its own and beats like a pulse means the nerve has passed the point of return.
How long the pain lasts is the most reliable clue to which tissue is involved.
Movement in a permanent tooth is not a normal stage; it means the support holding it has been lost.
A tooth surface flattening is a sign of force, not of age.
A change in colour can be a surface stain, or decay advancing beneath the enamel.
Whether the pain comes as you bite or as you release tells you a great deal about which problem you are facing.
Trapping at the same spot every time means the contact between two teeth has broken down, and the cause is usually repairable.
Whether the colour comes from outside or inside determines which treatment will work.
Teeth that stood in the same place for years starting to move means the support holding them has changed.
Blood when you brush is almost always a sign of inflammation, not of brushing too hard.
Healthy gum is pale pink and firm. Redness and swelling mean the tissue is responding with inflammation.
Teeth do not grow; the gum pulls back and exposes root surface that used to be covered.
If any of the following applies, don't wait for an appointment slot; seek care the same day.
For difficulty swallowing or breathing, go to the nearest emergency department.