I frequently have patients who ask me how often they should visit the dentist. The answer to that question can differ depending on the state of their oral health. For example, the more precarious it is, the more often a visit is required. Notwithstanding, the general rule is that you should visit your dentist at least every three months for a check-up and to have any necessary work done. Incomplete care and untreated problems are a sort of “watchful waiting” that unnecessarily leads to worsening conditions, loss of teeth, more discomfort and more expense to treat.
It is common for us Guyanese to visit our dentist when we are in pain. That is a shame because pain is only an indicator of a problem that has gotten so bad that it results in pain. Many dental problems do not cause pain at all until the problem is so bad that the offending tooth, gum needs significant treatment. So pain is not a healthy indicator for timing dental care. At that point, it is often too late. For instance, if your negligence makes you to lose even one tooth, you can greatly reduce your chewing ability. The teeth around that gap drift that way, leaving their natural “utility zone,” and are re-purposed for a job they are not perfect for.
Your teeth are not self-healing. We wish they were. Dentists and dentistry have long fought for preventive health care. We are justifiably proud of our efforts in the war to battle decay and to teach the public the value of oral health. But the reality is that when teeth are ignored, they will get worse until they can no longer be ignored. I still get patients who consistently put off their oral health, time after time. Often these patients come back to see me later on after they have had many of their teeth removed and had dentures, saying “Please, can you fix me.” Most of the time I can, but at an exponentially higher fee than would have been required if I have been able to treat them before.
Dentures do not work just as well as natural teeth. With your natural teeth, you can put enough pressure to chew through some pretty tough stuff. In fact, common bite or chewing force ranges from twenty-five to seventy-five pounds per square inch. Back teeth, when needed, can apply up to two hundred and fifty pounds per square inch. So what about dentures? Well, they generally function at about twenty-five percent of normal chewing function. That is right. Dentures function seventy-five percent less than natural teeth. Unless a person’s teeth are painful, rotting, and/or moving, healthy teeth versus dentures are two different worlds. Over a fifteen year period of wearing dentures, chewing ability deteriorates to five pounds of biting pressure. Talk about changing what you can chew! There are individuals that become true dental cripples.
Some say, “I will just wait until it hurts, breaks, falls out or gives me trouble.” As a solution, it is not a solution. I am still amazed at what people will do for their oral health versus their car or their house. I have seen people with impeccable homes and cars which they spend lots of time and money on, but when I examine their mouths, my God!
Is dentistry expensive? “Yes, it is,” and, “No, it is not.” Let me explain. If you look at the total fees for care, dentistry or what we call “maintenance” or “check-up” dentistry is pretty reasonable. A person over a lifetime can average twenty thousand dollars per year in caring for their teeth. Yet when a person neglects their teeth, gets partial treatment, or does not see a dentist on a regular basis, dentistry does get way more expensive. It could have been prevented. So yes, dentistry can be expensive at times, but here is something to ponder, “Would my dental expenses been considerably cheaper if my dental visits were more frequent?”
Dr. BERTRAND R. STUART DDS.