Life gets so busy that sometimes we end up putting off essential issues. However, a dental visit to treat a cavity should never be postponed. When your dentist recommends a dental filling, it is usually to prevent the affected tooth from further decay. An unfilled cavity should not be ignored for long as it could get worse as the cavity grows.
It is not a rare case that people have issues with their teeth, especially those who often eat processed food, sweets, and beverages with lots of sugar. Therefore, it is crucial to visit your dentist at least two times a year even if you don’t have any dental problems at the moment.
How do cavities occur?
Cavities will occur due to poor oral hygiene practices. When food particles are left on the teeth for long periods, especially sugary or acidic foods, they create a good breeding ground for harmful bacteria. Over time, these bacteria will increase and ultimately damage the tooth enamel, causing a hole.
Symptoms of cavities
People with tooth cavities may experience toothaches, inflammation around the affected tooth, pain when taking hot or cold drinks, bad breath, pain when chewing, or visible holes in the teeth. However, the main problem is that people often don’t feel pain or any other indication that they should visit their dentist. That is the main reason why you should schedule an examination in the ordination at least two times a year.
Who is at risk of getting cavities?
Although most people think that children are at a higher risk of getting cavities, anyone with teeth can get a hole. As one age, the gums start pulling away from the teeth. This increases your risk of getting a plaque. Still, if you consume lots of sugary foods, you increase your chances of getting cavities. Other things that can put you at a higher risk are;
Poor oral hygiene: If you do not brush and floss your teeth properly after meals, there are high chances of plaque and decay forming. Also, you should pay attention to the right selection of toothbrush and toothpaste, and the best way is to ask your dentist to recommend you the best products.
Lack of fluoride: Fluoride is often found in most kinds of toothpaste and tap water. It is vital in preventing cavities and can quickly reverse tooth decay. Moreover, you can use mouthwash as an excellent addition to that as well.
Reflux acid: People who suffer from acid reflux often have to deal with stomach acid getting forced into the mouth. The acid from the stomach can affect teeth, leading to cavities.
Dry mouth: Saliva helps to wash away food particles from your teeth. This helps to prevent tooth decay.
Poor Diet: As we already mentioned, people who eat a lot of sugar are in the greatest danger. Also, carbs and fats can lead to this problem as well.
Acidic Food and Beverages: Besides the fact that they are full of sugar, most beverages like Coca Cola, juice, and others contain acids that could make it easier for cavities to form on your teeth.
Genetics: In some cases, people can be in bigger danger of having various dental issues because of genetics. However, you can prevent problems by paying more attention and never avoid visiting your dentist.
Moreover, we have to mention that you should consider changing your habits if you have a lot of issues with your teeth, even if you take care of your health, and never skip a schedule with your dentist. For example, if you love snacks and eat a lot of them every day, if you prefer eating before bedtime, or in case that you drink a lot of alcohol, the chances for cavities are much higher. Also, another important factor is to learn how to clean your teeth in the right way to get rid of food particles.
Why you should never put off getting your cavity treated
Often, your dentist will treat your cavity with fillings to protect the affected tooth from further decomposition. Although most people are afraid of dental procedures, getting a filling is an almost painless procedure, and you shouldn’t be scared.
Here are some reasons why it is vital to get your cavity treated immediately you notice it.
You may end up losing a tooth
If your tooth cavity is so bad that a tooth canal or filling cannot repair, your dentist may have to extract your tooth and replace it with an implant. This is usually the worst your tooth may get. It’s essential to take care of your teeth, so they last you a lifetime. Getting a tooth implant is way more painful than a little discomfort at the dentist for routine check-ups.
The main issue can be in the case that you lose some of your front teeth since they can affect you to lose confidence and become less social with friends until you fix that problem.
The cavity may grow bigger
The longer you don’t treat a cavity, the bigger it grows. So, if you keep putting off a visit to the dentist, you risk getting bigger cavities. And the bigger they grow, the harder it will be for the dentist to fix them without considering cosmetic dentistry.
In that matter, you should educate your kids from a young age about the importance of dental health and how to preserve it.
It will cost you more later
The cavity you keep ignoring may affect your tooth so bad that you will need a root canal or dental crown. These procedures not only take a lot of time, but they are expensive when compared to a filling. By investing in your dental health early, you will be saving yourself later in the future.
The average price of one tooth implant is around $4,000. Therefore, if you let the problem grow bigger, you will need a loan to deal with that issue in the end.
Conclusion
A lot of people associate a dental clinic with pain. However, with modern technological advancements, there is minimal to no discomfort for most dental procedures. As seen above, an untreated cavity can cause so many other issues. You need to take care of it as soon as you notice any holes in your teeth.
Nevertheless, you should learn more about all of the dangers that you could get by avoiding your dentist. Many of these issues are not directly related to your mouth and teeth, like inflammation of blood veins, high blood pressure, bone loss, problems with fertility, cancer, and more.
Having a beautiful smile can help people to be more confident and successful in their lives. The best way to preserve your teeth is to avoid junk food and wash them properly. Even though you can find a lot of products today that might help you to whiten your teeth, you should know that many of them are not as efficient as regular dentist processes.
Therefore, you will have fewer struggles if you never avoid dental exams and visit the doctor on the first indication of the potential problem.
