A busy work schedule. A hectic lifestyle. Dental anxiety or trauma. These three are the most common reasons why many people keep postponing their visits to their dentist. If you also keep using one or more of these reasons to delay seeing your dentist, then you need to be prepared for some serious consequences.

But what happens if you avoid the dentist? A dentist in Shreveport, Dr. Ben Kacos reveals some of the consequences of failing to see your dental practitioner and getting professional dental care on a regular basis:

Tooth decay

Brushing and flossing properly regularly will help keep cavities at bay. But if you’re not thorough with practicing these habits, plaque will develop on your teeth and break down tooth enamel.

If you don’t see Dr. Ben Kacos every six months, he won’t be able to clean your teeth and remove any developing plaque. You will also allow bacteria to continue living on your teeth and gums which will eventually cause dental cavities and tooth decay.

Toothaches and tooth loss

If you don’t do anything about your dental caries and tooth decay, be prepared for the resulting toothaches. Unfortunately, recurring tooth pain will just be the start of your problem. Once the infection becomes too severe and deep, the dentist will recommend a more invasive treatment such as root canal or tooth extraction.

In addition, if the infection has already caused gum inflammation, this can result in the separation of the tooth. This will cause the tooth to become so loose that it will eventually fall off on its own, especially if it still left untreated.

Gum disease

We asked our friends and fellow Dentist in Kokomo Indiana, Dr. John Pasicznyk to weigh in on the volume of gum disease patients he treats each year. He shared that aside from toothaches and tooth loss, untreated plaque and tooth decay can also lead to gum or periodontal disease. When bacteria attack the gums, they can cause swelling and bleeding and allow the bacteria to settle underneath. If you don’t get proper treatment immediately, you run the risk of getting a periodontal disease which can lead to a myriad of other serious dental issues. 

Teeth discoloration and stains

Drinking red wine, sodas, coffee, and tea every day and eating lots of chocolates, candy, and other unhealthy foods can cause teeth stain and discoloration. This is because teeth are naturally porous and are thus susceptible to sustaining stains over time.

Dr. Ben Kacos can remove these surface stains during your appointments. But if you don’t go for regular checkups, you will allow the stains and discoloration to sit on your teeth.

Oral cancer

According to a study, around 50,000 Americans are diagnosed with oral cancer every year. Oral cancer, however, is highly treatable in its early stages. If you undergo oral cancer screening annually at Dr. Ben Kaco’s office, you give your medical specialist the chance to catch the disease early and treat it promptly. This, in turn, will increase your treatment success rate.

Spending several minutes at your dentist’s office every six months will help you keep a gorgeous, complete and functional set of teeth for a long time. As such, no matter how busy or nervous you are about seeing your dentist, find ways to overcome them and make it a priority to regularly visit your dental specialist. Schedule an appointment at our Shreveport dental office today!