The hustle and bustle of life can make it hard prioritizing appointments over other plans. Everybody may skip or reschedule their routine checkup and cleaning for various reasons, but most of the time, they revolve around whether you’re in pain, the cost, and squeezing the appointment into your busy schedule. Sometimes, waiting until you’re in pain to get treatment can result in more invasive and time-consuming treatments then you bargained for. Visiting your dentist in Dublin can actually save you time and money in the long run. Here are 3 reasons to schedule your checkup and cleaning before it’s too late.
Save Yourself From Pain
You can reduce your risk of experiencing pain or discomfort by regularly visiting your dentist and catching problems before they turn into something more serious. The American Dental Association recommends visiting your dentist for a semi-annual checkup and cleaning to keep your teeth and gums healthy and to ward off serious diseases such as oral cancer.
When these issues aren’t addressed early, they can often result in more invasive treatments. For example, if a cavity goes left untreated, it can leave your tooth susceptible to decay and being attacked by harmful oral bacteria. This can cause the pulp of your tooth to become infected and result in severe toothaches and needing root canal therapy when you could have just gotten a filling.
Skipping Your Preventive Visits Can Cost You More In The Long-Run
Ignoring your preventive dental visits can cause a variety of painful and uncomfortable oral health issues. Most of the time, these checkups and cleanings are 100% covered by dental plans. This includes X-rays and preventive treatments like fillings as well. When you put problems off, they turn into bigger ones that often need more invasive procedures and treatments that aren’t as likely to be covered by your insurance.
If an infected tooth is left untreated until it causes severe pain, you most likely will need to have it extracted. When this happens, you’ll also need to replace it with restoration like a crown or dental implant, which can be costly and aren’t typically covered by your insurance policy. Instead, you could regularly visit your dentist for practically free (if you have dental insurance) and remove harmful decay-and-disease-causing bacteria and plaque.
Save Your Time By Not Needing Emergency Procedures
It may seem hard to find time to schedule your routine checkups and cleanings with your busy schedule, but at least you’re able to fit it in at your convenience. When you wait for a dental emergency to happen, you won’t have a choice but to carve out time from your workday at the last minute. When your teeth determine when you see the dentist during an emergency, it can result in disrupted sleep because of late-night pain, canceled work meetings and plans with friends, and difficulty finding a dental professional to fit you into their schedule.
Even though you may think you’re saving money and time by skipping your routine visits with your dentist, you’re actually more likely to spend more and take up more of your time. Waiting until you’re in pain to visit the dentist can impact your oral and overall health. Although it may seem hard to fit a cleaning and checkup into your busy day, it’s well worth it considering the potential consequences that could arise if you don’t.
About the Author
Dr. Hannah Burton grew up in Dublin and came back after completing her Doctor of Dental Surgery at Ohio State University College of Dentistry to serve her community. She constantly pursues advanced training and keeps up with the latest advancements in her field by studying through Spear Education. She enjoys building long-lasting and trustworthy relationships so her patients feel like they’re in good hands. For questions or to schedule a routine checkup and cleaning, visit Distinctive Smiles of Dublin’s website or contact 614-792-1800.