All of us are busy and everyone is on a strict budget, so the prospect of paying for regular dental care maybe be something that someone might think would be a luxury or an expense, and not required. The dangers of this approach are that not looking after your oral health in the short to medium term can be much more expensive and much more distressing in the longer term.
This is a situation where prevention is much better than cure, avoiding the disease in the first place is a much better approach than trying to manage the outcomes of the disease at a later stage.
The Importance of Regular Oral Care
Looking after oral health regularly reduces the risk of tooth decay, which can lead to breakage, pain, dental abscesses, and ultimately, tooth loss or expensive treatments to retain teeth. Maintenance of oral health also reduces the overall risk of periodontal or gum disease, which is one of the most common diseases in adults in the United Kingdom and leads to tooth loss due to loosening and loss of support.
Regular examinations to assess gum disease and regular treatments with excellent hygiene care, reduce massively the chance of suffering from serious gum disease. If gum disease is diagnosed, good oral health maintenance can maintain teeth and maintain the health of the gums for an extremely long time, as they are looked after into older age.
Regular oral health examinations and treatment also allow the ability to diagnose more serious conditions at an early stage, as many conditions that affect the whole body are exhibited inside the mouth. Also, dentists are trained and clearly able to diagnose signs of early tissue change and oral cancer where early diagnosis is the most significant indicator for a good outcome in a terrible disease.
Neglecting oral health can seem like a good shortcut, a way to save money or time or hassle.
But often the case is that the neglect leads to much more serious consequences, both in terms of inconvenience, of cost, and detriment to health.