Why Do People Delay Visiting the Dentist?

Aside from worries about the coronavirus, people delay visiting the dental office because they might feel it’s not that urgent. After all, many of us only act if there’s an emergency or if the situation is serious already (e.g. unbearable pain, uncontrollable bleeding). However, each day of delay will indeed lead to something serious and costly especially when it comes to our gums and teeth.

Why do people delay visiting the dentist

Months ago, health organisations and government agencies limited the allowed dental procedures to emergencies only. We didn’t have much information about COVID-19 that time including how it truly spreads and the levels of risks. Also, we needed more time and studies to streamline current health and dental procedures.

Today, we understand COVID-19 a bit more and the levels of risks. As a result, most dental procedures are now allowed given that precautions are always being followed (contact us today for more information about restrictions and preventive measures). Patients now feel safe and relieved that their dental needs are being addressed. After all, oral health is also important and whenever there’s something wrong with our teeth and gums, our entire physical health and overall quality of life are also being affected.

However, many still delay visiting the dental office perhaps because of fear, anxiety, lack of available time or even inconvenience. As mentioned before, if it’s not urgent or if it’s not severe enough, most of us will not act. It’s especially the case with our oral health where the risks and dangers are gradual or insidious. Often it’s too late already before we book an appointment. The result is we lose a tooth or we spend thousands of dollars on invasive procedures.

To prevent that scenario, it’s highly encouraged to book an appointment as soon as possible. This way, what you experience as pain that comes and goes can be addressed immediately. Perhaps yesterday your gums bled and now it’s all right. Some people in this situation might ignore that and get busy again. However, it’s already an early sign there’s something wrong. One day it bleeds and then it’s gone and the cycle goes on and on for weeks or months. One day it might progress into periodontal disease. An x-ray might be done to examine for bone loss. The overall treatment and procedure can all be costly and cause a lot more inconvenience.

Tooth loss is also a common problem especially as we age or practice poor oral hygiene. Although there are now excellent procedures to bring back our great smiles and confidence (and make our teeth look complete again), it’s still the best practice to prevent that or delay the tooth loss as long as possible. Yes, soon some of our teeth might still fall off even with excellent oral care. But if we do our part (practicing good oral hygiene plus regular dental visits), we’ll keep most of our teeth intact and spare ourselves from some dental procedures.

Here at Big Smiles Dental, we take the time to calm and inform the patients and explain to them everything they need to know before moving forward with a procedure. We make it an enjoyable, pain-free experience for both adults and young children. Contact us today to book an appointment.