The appointment that you make with your dentist is just as crucial for your health as the one you make to see your general practitioner or family doctor. Unfortunately, it is not uncommon for dental appointments to be made and missed, or not made at all. One common misconception that drives this is the tendency for some to underestimate the importance of good dental and oral health. A visit to the dentist will only be honoured when problems arise, and help must be sought.
Some of the more common excuses that are made for missing dental appointments include:
Fear of Pain
Dental procedures are generally perceived to be painful and disturbing for the patient. This perception gives patients pause as they consider making or keeping a dentists appointment. What is often overlooked is that while some procedures like the injection of anaesthetic may result in some discomfort, relief will follow soon after.
Absence of Symptoms
A person that is asymptomatic, or does not seem to exhibit or experience any problems to do with their teeth will be most likely to avoid visits to the dentists’ offices. Convincing yourself that as long as nothing visible is amiss and you are not experiencing any pain to justify the avoidance of a visit can be counterproductive. Regular check-ups that are performed by a doctor can serve to confirm that your teeth and gums are healthy.
Seeming Unimportance
Going to the dentist may not sound like an essential task to carry out, yet it is. The health of your teeth and gums must be taken as seriously as the health of any other body part. You cannot be overly confident about the state of your mouth simply because you brush your teeth and make use of floss. Seeing the dentist is the best way you can make sure that this is the case.
Cost
Most people avoid going to the dentist because they worry about the cost to them, especially if they are uninsured. You, should, however, make every effort to include at least one or two visits to the dentist per year in your family’s budget to maintain proper coverage and to reap the benefits these consistent visits can bestow.
Why is it important to honour that appointment?
While all the above excuses may seem plausible and reasonable at one time or another, they only serve to suppress the importance of dental appointments. Even with good oral hygiene, you cannot be entirely confident that your teeth are in good health. Seeing your dentist will help to catch any developing issues early enough that a course of treatment can be undertaken before it becomes debilitating. Your dentist would also be able to identify gum disease and tooth decay and treat it using the appropriate means.
Finally, prevention is better than cure. Regular observations, together with routine maintenance like tooth cleaning done by your dentist, can save you a lot of money in the long run. By shoring up the health of your teeth, you can avoid or offset future occurrences of disease that would cost much more to rectify.
Do not be cavalier about your next dentist appointment. Make one today, even if you have had a bad experience in the past. Your teeth and gums will only be the better for it.
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