Crisis Treatment

Many people don’t see a dentist on a regular basis. They go only when they feel they have a problem — “crisis treatment” instead of preventive treatment.

While these patients may feel they are saving money, it usually ends up costing much more in both dollars and time. The reason is that most dental problems don’t have any symptoms until they reach the advanced stages.

An example is tooth decay. We hear all the time, “Nothing hurts…I don’t have any problems.” But tooth decay doesn’t hurt — until it gets close to the nerve of the tooth. Then a root canal and crown are usually necessary, instead of the small filling which could have been placed several years ago when the cavity was small.

We can usually detect a cavity 3–4 years before it may develop any symptoms. It is not uncommon to see a patient with a tremendous cavity who has never felt a thing!

Related reading: Preventing decayed teeth · Request an appointment