1. You Can Lose Your Teeth:
Losing teeth is one of the most serious consequences of avoiding the dentist. Almost all problems affecting the teeth and gums are treatable. However, if you ignore warning signs and don’t have a regular check-up, you may lose your teeth. This can occur through advanced periodontal disease or from tooth decay that remains untreated for too long.
2. Painful Toothaches:
Cavities and other dental problems become painful if they are untreated. Sometimes people ignore pain when chewing or sensitivity to hot or cold foods because the pain isn’t severe. However, if you don’t address the cause, the pain is likely to get worse over time. You can self-medicate by using pain killers, but as this does not address the real issue the problem will worsen, which will result in more pain and a more complicated dental procedure to fix the problem.
3. Gum Disease:
Periodontal or gum disease is a widespread problem that can have many harmful effects on your health. It is not something that occurs overnight but usually, results from long-term neglect of the teeth and gums. If you have painful gums or gums that bleed easily, these may be symptoms of periodontal disease. If untreated, this can lead to painful inflammation of the gums, loose teeth and even lost teeth.
4. Risk of Developing Many Diseases:
There is increasing evidence linking gum disease and tooth decay with other health problems, such as heart disease. Plaque bacteria that are found in the gums can spread to other areas of the body. So it is important to keep the mouth clean and free of plaque and bacteria. There are now links between gum and dental problems and other serious diseases, including diabetes, dementia, respiratory problems and certain types of cancer.
5. Your Teeth Get Stained:
One of the most basic procedures performed by dentists is cleaning your teeth. This not only makes them look better, but it protects your teeth and gums from disease. Many things can stain your teeth. This includes smoking, eating certain foods and drinking tea and coffee. Regular cleanings remove stains and debris. Whilst you hopefully brush and floss regularly, a professional cleaning is much more thorough. Most dentists recommend getting a cleaning at least once per year. However, if you have a problem such as periodontal disease, you may need to get them cleaned several times per year.
6. You May Develop Bad Breath:
Even if you aren’t concerned about your long term health, you probably don’t want people to avoid you because you have bad breath. There can be many causes of bad breath. Dental problems are one of the main causes. Tooth decay and gum disease will contribute to giving your breath an unpleasant odour. Part of having fresh breath is maintaining good oral hygiene on a daily basis. If you avoid the dentist you are likely to develop bad breath due to untreated problems in your mouth.
7. Painful and Costly Dental Procedures in the Future:
People who avoid the dentist can only do so for so long. When you get a severe toothache, you will be motivated to finally make an appointment. The longer you wait, the more likely it is that you will have to undergo painful and expensive treatments. For example, filling a cavity is usually a fast, simple and relatively inexpensive procedure. But if you wait until you need a root canal, you will have to make multiple visits and undergo a costly and long process. If you go to the dentist at least once per year, the dentist will usually be able to catch any problems in the early stages. This makes your visits fairly simple and pain-free