Consequences of Delaying Dental Treatments

Are you among those who put off visits to their dentist because they are scared of sitting in a dental office chair? Or, it could be tough to balance career and life, and visiting the dental doctor falls on the priority list. But if we realize the dire consequences of delaying our oral checkup, we might be compelled to schedule our next appointment.

When we eat or give food to our kids, we check that the food is fresh and not stale. We try to clean the fruits and vegetables as best as we can before consuming them. Then why don’t we give the same significance to germs present in our mouths? In general, people feel that oral infection is not as critical as an infection in other parts of our bodies. But little do we know that once our teeth are badly infected, we can not find any vaccine or medication to reverse the damage.

In this article, we will understand why it is essential to go for dental treatment at the onset of the disease and not delay it till it becomes severe and irreparable.

The Circle Of Dental Phobia

Many of us are scared to go to a dentist as we associate it with needles and pain. This phobia stops us from going to the dentist, which leads to other complications. It is a vicious circle, as explained below:

• You suffer from dental anxiety.
• You delay oral procedures that can fix the problem.
• This compromises your dental as well as general health.
• You then have to undergo more complex treatments that cost more, and this aggravates the initial problem you had, i.e., dental phobia.

Stages of Tooth Decay

When we do not follow proper oral hygiene, food particles in our mouths start attacking our pearly whites. The four stages of tooth decay are outlined below:

1. Enamel decay – Enamel is the hardest part of our bodies and is the protective coating on our teeth. It is our teeth’ first line of defense, and when this is infected, there is no pain initially.
2. Advanced decay – This denotes that infection has gone slightly deeper in the enamel though even at this stage, we will not feel any pain.
3. Dentin decay – Dentin is the inner layer of our teeth beneath the enamel. When the infection reaches this stage, the pain starts kicking in.
4. Pulp decay – Pulp resides at the innermost part of our teeth, and when the infection gets to the pulp, it is extremely painful, and there is no way we can avoid treatment.

Significance of Regular Oral Checkups

ADA (American Dental Association) recommends that everyone must visit their dentists every six months. Though some might find it overkill, ADA has valid reasons for recommending such a schedule.

• When you meet your dentist for a regular checkup, you get a comprehensive analysis of your teeth and mouth.
• With professional equipment and experience, your dentist can identify any oral problem in their early stages before they become severe and painful.
• If you have minor dental issues, they can be treated without causing much discomfort and cost.

Consequences Of Not Getting Oral Procedure In Time

Let’s say in your last dental visit, your doctor told you about a small cavity, but you decided not to fill it due to lack of time or expenses, or you do not think it is important enough. But when the cavity starts giving you pain, you would have to finally get it filled, which has many serious implications, as discussed below:

• Fillings can become more expensive – The amount of filling needed depends on how many surfaces of teeth it needs to fill. When cavities become bigger due to the growth of decay, the surface that needs to be filled also becomes more and costs more.
• The filling is no longer going to fix your teeth – If a cavity grows to the cusps of your teeth (pointed parts of your teeth) or cap (crown), filling can no longer suffice, and you would need to go for tooth restoration procedures like dental crowns which are much costlier than filling.
• Nerve damage – As decay grows into the tooth, it can infect the nerve space, which causes immense pain and swelling. Once this occurs, your only remedy is a root canal.
• Tooth extraction – The decay can become so severe that the tooth is not repairable and needs to be extracted. Remember that repairing a tooth is always cheaper than extracting it.

As seen here, the adverse effects of delaying dental treatments are immense, and one must go for regular checkups and cleanings to maintain optimal oral health.