Visiting the dentist is something that we all need to do, yet it scares the living daylights out of some people like the thought of their teeth being drilled into is too much, and instead of having the niggling pain looked at, they forget about the problem and it ends up getting worse. The coronavirus pandemic has compounded the issue because most dentists have been shut for the majority of the year due to hygiene reasons, and this has meant that our oral health has suffered enormously. Dentistry can be extremely expensive, and the more time that you leave a problem unattended, then the more it is going to cost you, so it is paramount that you visit a dentist every 6 months, if at all possible. There are many different problems that you can have with your teeth, from tooth decay to gum disease, but all are as important as each other.
In this article, we are going to take a look at why you need to quickly take care of your dental problems, so if you are suffering from cosmetic issues or painful teeth, or you know someone that is, then read on to find out more.
Stained teeth
Having stained teeth is something that most of us will have to deal with in our lifetimes, especially as we get older. There are many reasons why our teeth become discolored but the main reasons derive from lifestyle choices. If you enjoy drinking coffee or red wine, then you are likely to end up with stained teeth, which can be rather unsightly. The longer that you leave the problem the worse it will become and then you may be faced with having to find a more permanent solution to remove the stain. Professional teeth whitening is one option and is fairly cheap. Each session will only take an hour or so, however, if you have neglected the color of your teeth for too long, then your only option may be to go for a pair of veneers that will hide the staining permanently. Porcelain veneers will do the job perfectly but they are not cheap, so the moral of the story is to nip any staining in the bud, and then you will have perfectly white teeth without resorting to expensive veneers.
Cracked teeth
Cracked teeth are fairly common and can happen for a variety of reasons, but surprisingly, they often do not hurt. This leads to people forgetting about the problem, which is the worst thing that you can do as a cracked tooth is extremely susceptible to decay, or even further cracking which could lead to you losing the tooth. As soon as you know that you have cracked, or chipped a tooth, you must head to your dentist for treatment. If left untreated, then you face the prospect of the crack developing into a fissure, and you may need a crown to be fitted to protect the healthy part of the tooth. If the problem continues to get worse you could be faced with painful root canal surgery, or worse you will need to have the whole tooth removed. In this instance, you needn’t be faced with a missing tooth as you can resort to dental implants, but again, these are costly. The lesson to be learned is to have the slightest crack treated as soon as possible, to stop it from developing into a problem that could require painful and expensive surgery to rectify.
Irregular teeth
Some people are blessed with perfectly white and straight teeth, but in reality, these people are few and far between. Television and social media are full of personalities with beautifully straight teeth but the vast majority will have resorted to treatment or even surgery to achieve this look. If you are born with irregularly shaped teeth, then the sooner you try to do something about straightening them, the less invasive the procedure will be. Irregular teeth will also play havoc with your bite, which can lead to you not chewing your food properly, and ultimately, digestive issues, so there are also non-cosmetic reasons for fixing the issue. If you are young enough then a visit to the orthodontist and potentially a pair of braces could be the answer, but for older people then contouring or cosmetic bonding will be needed, and in extreme cases, veneers will be needed to cover the offending teeth. Head to the dentist as soon as your adult teeth are complete, and then you will be able to have the problem rectified at as young an age as possible.
Gapped teeth
People with gaps in their teeth often leave them be as they see them as a sign of individuality, whereas, others will look to rectify the problem as quickly as possible due to issues with the way they look, or problems that they have with eating. If you do leave them be, you must brush and floss your teeth regularly as the gaps can harbor food, which in turn leads to harmful bacteria infecting your gums. Solutions to the problem include treatment to realign your teeth with a pair of aligners which will push your teeth closer together for 6 months or so, or minor gaps could be fixed by using cosmetic bonding. Whichever form of treatment you go for, the sooner you start treatment, the quicker you will see the results that you are looking for.
As we have learned there are many reasons why it is important to quickly take care of your dental problem, not least because the sooner you seek a remedy, the cheaper it will be. Stained teeth can be unsightly, and the longer left without whitening the harder it is to remove the stains, and cracked teeth can develop from a relatively minor issue to needing implants in no time at all. Irregular or gapped teeth can be fixed at an early age with braces or a realignment procedure, but if left unattended can result in the loss of teeth or infection of the gums due to an accumulation of plaque and bacteria. So, at the slightest sign of a problem, head to your dentist without delay!
