Can you delay your Dental Treatment?
Let’s be honest- no one likes going to the dentist! We see people who have delayed their dental care for as long as possible because they are anxious about getting a dental procedure done. You may have waited until the problem actually starts to bother you regularly because if it doesn’t hurt then why fix it? At Summit Dental Clinic, we strongly advise against procrastinating your dental care and heres why-
Dental Problems do NOT get better on their own- Unlike some medical issues, dental problems do not simply go away or get better on their own over time. Rather they nearly always worsen as the time goes by. Physical cavities and aggressive gum disease do not go away with time and the only solution is to remove all the bacteria inside and treat it. We also see a lot of people who have tried DIY or home remedies for treating dental issues and let us tell you that you are just doing more damage than good! There may be some conditions such as initial demineralisation of the tooth which can be reversed by good oral hygiene and fluoride supplementation or initial gingivitis which gets better with improved brushing and flossing. However the only way to know whether the issue can be reversed by such measures is to visit the dentist! So as soon as you feel slight discomfort, transient sensitivity or when any symptoms first present themselves- make an appointment!
Even if it does not hurt, there could be a bigger problem- Pain or extreme sensitivity is a definite red flag and indicative of deep decay or gum infection. However, in many situations you may not experience any dental pain at all because the rate at which the infection spreads is faster than the rate at which your body/ tooth responds and sends out pain signals- thus your tooth can die even without you knowing. However there may be visible signs of cavities, swelling or redness which is indicative of an underlying infectious process. So if anything feels off even in the slightest - schedule a dental consult! Now there can even be situations where you see no signs- no redness, no swelling etc- so what then? This is one of the main reasons why you should visit your dentist regularly (2-3times a year for cleaning and check up) and we can then detect early signs of any problems and hence make sure you do not have to undergo invasive treatment in the future.
Delaying treatment will cost you more in the end- Like we said before, dental problems increase with time and therefore the options for treating them changes too. For example, an initial cavity may not require treatment however a few months of ignoring later, the same cavity is deeper and may require a filling. When you delay treatment further at this stage- the same cavity will go deeper and infect the nerve within the tooth. At this stage you have no other option but to undergo a root canal treatment to save the tooth. So in a few months you have doubled the cost of your treatment. Treating dental problems not only saves your teeth but also your money!
You could end up losing your teeth- As dental decay progresses, there will be a point in time where it can no longer be restored and the tooth cannot be saved. You may have delayed a dental visit to an extent where you will be left with no other option but to remove the tooth and replace it with a dental implant, bridge etc. In Summit Dental Clinic, we believe that even with the advanced technology available to us- there is no substitute for natural healthy teeth.
So in case you have slight discomfort, sensitivity, irregular/ tolerable pain or if you haven’t been to the dentist in a while (or at all!)- schedule your appointment today and save yourself a whole lot of trouble in the future!