Waiting Too Long
Most people say they want to keep their teeth for a lifetime. Yet they let their dental health become a low priority.
We are seeing more and more people waiting to address their dental health.
The reasons are many. The results are often very disappointing.
Sometimes by the time people come to see us, it is too late. For some reason, people seem to think that if there is no pain things are okay. When it comes to dental health the opposite is true. By the time something hurts, it has progressed to an advanced stage of decay or gum disease. Waiting until there is pain sometimes is waiting too long, if it results in a tooth extraction.
Often we can save the teeth with advanced techniques that do get expensive.
Sometimes we cannot.
Back tooth is broken with large cavity
During decay removal, deep crack is seen
The pictured tooth here had deep decay and an amalgam filling that had outlived its usefulness.
Between the decay and the old amalgam filling, this tooth cracked so deeply and the decay extended to the level of the bone, so the tooth had to be removed.
It’s much better to have routine checkups and have problems dealt with before they become large and involved. Regular dental visits and preventive care allows problems to be caught earlier, so that the teeth can be saved more often.