The Tribune

Dr Tamika Ferguson

Many people have various reasons why they do not visit their dentist regularly. The reasons range from a busy schedule to not sensing anything wrong in the mouth. The main reason though is some persons feel a visit to their dentist is synonymous with pain. The truth is the longer you postpone visiting your dentist for a check-up, the more you put your oral health at risk.

If you put off going to the dentist for too long there can be several negative consequences; these include:

1. Losing teeth

2. Gum disease

3. Toothache

4. Costly procedures

Losing teeth

Losing your teeth is the most serious and severe cost of dental neglect. Most problems affecting your teeth and gums can be treated if caught in a timely manner. By avoiding your dentist over long periods, a small problem can eventually become a major concern and lead to tooth loss. Losing teeth not only affects your mouth but can also have a negative impact on you socially especially if the tooth is at the front of the mouth. Tooth loss will result in embarrassing spaces in the mouth, drifting of your remaining teeth and can alter your occlusion.

Gum disease

Gum disease does not occur spontaneously out of the blue, it is a physical manifestation of poor oral hygiene over a long period of time. If you are suffering from painful or bleeding gums then these are some symptoms of gum disease. By visiting your dentist at six months intervals for your regular cleanings, gum disease can be avoided. If a person is a regular attender their dentist will note if their oral hygiene practices are not up to par and instruct them on how to improve. Several studies have shown that persons with gum disease are at an increased risk of heart disease and other health problems.

Toothache

A lot of people believe the only time they should visit the dentist is if they are experiencing severe pain. When asked, “Why did you wait so long to see the dentist”, persons often say they were only experiencing slight pain from the tooth but since it wasn’t severe they ignored it. Do not wait for the pain to start, visit your dentist to prevent that from happening. Cavities become painful the longer they remain untreated. It is best to visit your dentist at the first sign of discomfort. Further, during your regular check-up X-rays will be taken. These X-rays will show if there is any decay in your mouth. Your dentist will then make a treatment plan for you and if followed you can avoid even slight pain.

Costly procedures

The longer you wait to see the dentist it is more likely the procedure will be more costly. For example, a filling is generally a simple and inexpensive procedure but if you wait until the pain is severe then the dentist can no longer simply fill the tooth instead you will need a root canal. The root canal entails a longer time in the dental chair and is more expensive than a filling. Avoiding the dentist not only increases your chances of a toothache/pain but hurts your bank account as well.

By visiting your dentist on a regular basis, he or she will detect any problems in the early stages. The dental environment may not be your favourite place, but going ensures you maintain your oral health. So see your dentist once every six months!