The last thing you want to hear on your regular dental checkup is that you have cavities that need to be filled. If they're not causing you pain yet, you may be tempted to put off the dental work until you have more money or time to get it done. However, it isn't a good idea to delay getting fillings. Here's why.
Small Fillings Are Easier To Endure
If a cavity is tiny, your dentist may be able to put in a filling without even using anesthesia. That could be a very big deal if you have a needle phobia. Since the dentist won't have to drill so deep to remove tooth decay, your discomfort shouldn't be too bad. If you have a fear of drills or anything else related to dental work, you want to get in and out as fast as possible. One way to do that is to have dental work done early. If you put off getting your fillings because you fear the dentist, when you finally do go, the ordeal will be more complex and stressful.
Cavities Only Get Worse
Chances are very high your cavity will only get worse as time goes on. It may grow quickly or slowly, but eventually it eats through your tooth enamel. This break in the enamel allows bacteria to get inside the tooth. If that happens, the pulp or root can become infected. You could develop a very painful abscess in addition to the tooth pain caused by exposed nerves.
Dental Work Gets More Expensive If You Put It Off
If your cavity gets too big, you may not have enough healthy tooth left for the filling to attach. That means you'll need to get a crown to restore your tooth. If you also have an infection, you could need a root canal procedure to clean it out. These extra procedures drive up the cost of your treatment. A simple filling could cost about $100, while a crown runs closer to $1000.
If you don't want to get fillings because you can't afford the cost, talk to your dentist to see if there are programs that can help you. If you don't want the dental work because of a phobia, your dentist may be able to give you medications to help you relax, so you can endure the treatment. Whatever you do, don't let your teeth go untreated until they are so decayed you suffer with a lot of pain or risk losing your teeth.
For more information, contact Ginger Scoggins DDS or a similar dental professional.
Share18 December 2014
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