What Happens When You Stop Going to the Dentist?

Posted by Amitava Sarkar on August 4th, 2016

Millions of people the world over suffer from dental anxiety. While certain cases are more serious than others, most of the people affected by dental anxiety view their biannual dentist visits as a source of dread. Regardless of how skilled their respective dentists are, these individuals regard standard checkups and routine cleanings with considerable discomfort. Although the majority of dental anxiety sufferers simply bite the bullet and go in for a cleaning every six months, a staggering number of them choose to discontinue regular checkups. For people with extreme dental anxiety, going years – or decades – between cleanings is hardly unusual.

When trapped in the throes of dental anxiety, it’s imperative that you not allow your fear to overtake you. Succumbing to your anxiety can compromise the health of your teeth – as well as you jaw and mouth. After skipping a few cleanings without noticing any significant consequences, certain individuals reason that they no longer need to visit the dentist on a consistent basis – or at all. However, this way of thinking is incredibly misguided and can prove extremely detrimental to your oral health. As you’ll find, swearing off dentist visits is among the worst things you can do to yourself.

Oral Diseases Go Undiagnosed

Most dentists do a lot more than clean your teeth and fill cavities. Although few people are aware of it, their regular dental visits also function as disease screenings. For example, when performing checkups, dentists look for signs of gingivitis and oral cancer. Fortunately, if caught early enough, the latter is highly treatable. However, like most forms of cancer, successful treatment can prove difficult once the disease has progressed to an advanced stage. So in addition to keeping your teeth nice and healthy, seeing your dentist stands to save your life.

Plaque Builds Up

It doesn’t matter how well you care for your teeth at home – you still need to see a dentist every six months. There’s no denying that daily brushing and flushing play a significant role in maintaining one’s oral health. Still, without regular dental cleanings, plaque buildup is bound to occur. If you’re diligent about homecare, it may occur gradually, but make no mistake – if you stop seeing the dentist, your teeth will fall prey to plaque buildup, which will eventually cause gingivitis and potentially tooth rot. Fortunately, celebrated practices like the NYC-based Park Slope Dentistry are able to perform routine cleanings quickly, painlessly and at minimal cost to patients.

Cavities Go Untreated

Few people realize just how serious cavities are. If left untreated for an extended period, a seemingly insignificant cavity can turn into an abscess, which can lead to a full-scale jaw infection – which can facilitate the need to remove one’s jaw. In less serious instances, untreated cavities can make teeth unsalvageable, thus resulting in their removal. In the interest of nipping cavities in the bud, immediately contact your dentist each time you discover one. Furthermore, since cavities are often found during dental checkups, never miss a six-month appointment.

Successfully overcoming dental anxiety can be a tall order. Like most forms of anxiety, the longer you’ve suffered from it, the harder is can be to put behind you. If deep-seated dental anxiety has prevented you from visiting your dentist on a regular basis, take care to seek out help posthaste. Allowing this problem to fester will only make it more difficult to get rid of. For the sake of your psychological wellbeing and oral health, you’ll need to take a stand against this increasingly widespread problem.

About the Author: Melanie Stattler is a Brooklyn-based personal trainer and longtime proponent of health eating. Whether she needs a routine cleaning or a specialized procedure, Melanie depends on Park Slope Dentistry for all her dental needs – and recommends that everyone in the Big Apple do the same.