Do you think of your dentist as an ‘emergency room’ where you will only go if you have an excruciating toothache? The economy has made everyone cost conscious, but it is important that people do not cut corners on dental health. When it comes to dentistry, short-term cost cutting measures may actually lead to higher costs in the future. Regular check ups and dental cleanings help people save on costlier treatment in the long run because your dentist can help prevent problems or treat them before they become complicated and costly to fix.
Dental problems do not get better and they do not go away. If you have never had a toothache you should consider yourself very lucky — those who have had toothaches will tell you that the pain is something you never want to experience. Most dental problems are painless until it is too late and have become a bigger problem. Unless a cavity is filled the decay continues to eat away at the tooth. When the decay reaches the nerve of the tooth, the only alternative is a root canal and crown or to extract.
Do your gums bleed when you brush them? Regular check ups and cleanings can treat early signs of gum disease preventing more extensive gum surgery in the future. Will the removal of these teeth be the only option available at that time?
People who do not attend their dentist regularly tend to have a far more extensive, and therefore a far more expensive and complicated, treatment plan. The simplest and most inexpensive dentistry is preventative; regular check-ups and hygiene visits, and sometimes small fillings for early decay, are the simple things that avoid the more complex dentistry down the line. In cases where a dentist has located a bigger problem, that is not causing pain, it is important to act quickly to limit the damage and maintain that pain-free state.
Have a dental check up every six months, and if your teeth and gums are healthy your dentist may recommend that you extend this interval. Remember that dental pain is an unnatural state and nobody should ever have to experience it.
Galway Dental is currently offering dental cleaning for a special price of €50 (new patients only ), available until August 16.
Galway Dental, the clinic of Dr Eilis O’Hagan and Dr Rachel King, is located at No 6 Fr Griffin Avenue, The Crescent, Salthill, Galway. Phone 091 582222 or visit www.galwaydental.com The clinic is open Saturdays with late opening Wednesdays.
