Myth18: “I don’t need regular dental visits.”
Your teeth are not self-healing. We wish they were. Dentists and dentistry have long fought for preventive health care. We are justifiably proud of our efforts in the war to battle decay and to teach the public the value of oral health.
The reality is that when teeth are ignored, they’ll get worse until they can no longer be ignored.
I still get patients who consistently put off their oral health, time after time. Often these patients come back to us later on after they’ve had all their teeth removed and had dentures, saying “Please can you fix me.” The reality is that most of the time we can, but at an exponentially higher fee than would have been required if we had been able to fix their real teeth.
“I’ll just wait until it hurts, breaks, falls out, or gives me trouble.” As a solution, it isn’t a solution. I’m still amazed at what people will do for their oral health versus their car or their house or a piece of clothing.
So, “I’ll just wait,” is like saying “I’m just going to let the bomb blow up before I stop the problem.” You wouldn’t dare let a bomb go off in a house if you can take the bomb away and have the house still stand. That’s what people do when they say, “I’ll just wait ‘til later.” Boom.
And, as many people find out the hard way – it is nearly inevitable that when someone keeps putting off dealing with a dental problem, that that problem will flare up at the worst possible time in their life: on a trip, at a business meeting, at an important social gathering, at a funeral, at a wedding or a birthday party.
Ever wonder why that happens? Your body’s ability to deal with the chronic stress of the dental problem decreases when afflicted with the added stress of the event.
The delay will make you pay. Who needs the added stress of severe dental problems at the worst possible time? No one.
Myth 19: “I can save money if I just put off the dental work.”
Putting off dental care can be deadly. Because you suffer no pain at first, some people think they are “getting away with it” or they are “smart enough to know when I really need it.” Bad Ideas.
If you are putting off needed care, say hello to trouble. It is coming. Tooth loss and vastly increased expenses are the natural consequences of the delay.
This problem starts with the idea that dental care is elective! No it is not. Dental care should be a regular part of your health care.
Often these delays come from people voting with their pocketbooks. I realize that most people don’t budget money for their dental health. It’s a shame. It just isn’t up there with all the other insistent demands of life and living. Perhaps that will change as people start to realize the connection between their oral health and their overall health.
