Have you been avoiding the dentist? Regardless of whether you need a preventive exam or something is bothering you, avoiding the situation is bad news for your teeth.

There are a variety of reasons that you might avoid going to the dentist, ranging from fear of pain to just not having the time. Unfortunately, putting off your dental care can cause a small problem to turn into a major issue that requires more work and a greater expense.

Consider cavities, for example. Small cavities may not need to be filled at all, but if you fail to go to the dentist to have them noticed when they are still treatable, they can form large cavities. 

The larger a cavity is, the more work that will be required to fill it in, and that’s not your biggest concern. That minor toothache or cavity could actually turn into an abscess or a small fracture, and this could require a crown on top of your filling.

Speaking of abscesses, this painful condition can also be treated successfully in the early stages, so if you experience a toothache, it is important to make an appointment with your dentist. 

Ignoring an abscess could lead to damage that goes all the way to the root, and the only way to correct that problem is with a root canal. Failure to do so can cause infection to spread to other places, and the longer that you wait, the more widespread that the problem will become.

Even putting off a routine cleaning can be bad news for your teeth. When the plaque on your teeth is able to accumulate, it becomes tartar. Only a dentist will be able to remove this tartar with his specialized tools, and failure to get it off can lead to decay, cavities, and a variety of other problems. The bottom line is that avoiding dental work now is going to lead to major problems in the long run.