Nothing hurts... so I must be OK?


This is one of the most common questions I get, immediately  before I examine a patient. It is more of a plea for me to not find anything wrong. While a complete check up reveal no new problems, it is not unusual to find a problem that hasn't started to bother them.

Finding problems such as a cracked filling or a small cavity, is key to keeping a mouth healthy since corrections made early tend to work better and help keep a mouth healthy without major dental interventions, such as root canal treatment or worse an extraction. The truth is that even healthy mouths require maintenance and frequent check ups. Frequent examinations and cleaning by a competent dentist will likely ensure that problems will be found at the earliest possible stage, before serious damage has occurred.

Many people delay their treatments until something is bothering them... then they know it is time to see their dentist. Unfortunately, at least from my vantage point, they have waited too long, since there a many times that their wait time has allowed their condition to deteriorate to a point where saving their tooth can become more difficult or impossible.

Not all tooth problems hurt in their initial stages but they can be observed by a diligent dentist during a recare procedure. This is why many patients are encouraged to see us for checkup and cleanings at least twice per year. It is better to err on the side of caution and "coddle a mouth" than "ration" care . Some people and some insurance companies reason by seeing the dentist less they will save money, but in the long run it is more important to preserve teeth and keep them for a lifetime . Spending an extra several hundred dollars per year on prevention is a worthwhile investment, especially if the goal is to minimize tooth loss over an entire lifespan.

from Ask Dr. Spindel - http://lspindelnycdds.blogspot.com/2020/01/nothing-hurts-so-i-must-be-ok.html - http://lspindelnycdds.blogspot.com/

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