Costs of Delaying Dental Treatment

You likely know that you should visit your dentist on a regular basis for check-ups and teeth cleanings. During an oral exam, a dentist might identify an issue like a cavity that will require a follow-up appointment to treat. You may feel like these additional visits to your dentist’s office are a hassle. But they are crucial to ensuring your smile stays healthy.

Delaying a routine or follow-up appointment with your dentist can lead to severe consequences. So make sure you stay on top of your oral health care. You can feel more encouraged to attend these dental visits and receive the services you need when you know more about the potential dangers of skipping them. Read on to learn the risks you could face if you do not seek dental work in a timely fashion.

Costs of Delaying Dental Treatment

Worsening Dental Damage

Many of us will develop a cavity at some point in our lives. A dentist can diagnose this early stage of tooth decay during a routine dental appointment. They will recommend prompt cavity treatment, which will entail returning to your dentist’s office to receive a dental filling.

If you do not schedule this treatment quickly, bacteria will continue to eat away at your dental structure, worsening decay. If decay reaches the interior of the tooth, you could face a high risk of an infection.

Skipping a dental check-up can also put you in danger of major dental damage. During these appointments, a dentist can find potential oral health problems before they can wreak serious havoc on your smile. But they also thoroughly clean your teeth.

Without this preventative dental care, plaque and tartar build-up can weaken your teeth. This makes them more susceptible to tooth decay and other dental concerns. Once your tooth enamel begins to thin, it cannot regrow. Avoid irreversible dental damage by scheduling this necessary dental work.

More Expensive Restorative Dental Work

If a dentist finds a cavity, they can remove the decay and restore the tooth’s structure with a filling within one short appointment. In cases of advanced tooth decay, where an untreated cavity spreads and affects more of the tooth, you may require more intensive dental work to fix the damage.

The dentist may need to use a dental crown, a cap that can protect and restore the entire surface of a damaged tooth. It will take time to create an individualized crown that will suit your unique smile. You will need to return to the dentist’s office to receive the permanent crown. This more extensive dental restoration will be more expensive than a dental filling.

Save both time and money by taking care of cavities and other dental problems as soon as you can. Seeking preventative care from your dentist on a regular basis can lower your chances of forming these dental issues in the first place as well.

Know Your Dental Financing Options

If the financial cost of dental treatment is holding you back from receiving the oral health care you need, give your dentist’s office a call. Our staff can discuss payment options and benefits from your dental insurance that can make your dentistry services more affordable.

Our office also offers 12-month, interest-free dental financing that can allow you to make payments that suit your budget rather than pay the full cost upfront. Contact Morristown Cosmetic Dentistry at 973.287.3337 to learn more.