Many patients don’t like to go to the dentist because they are scared of the treatment and costs. Large cavities cause pain and often need root canals, crowns, or extractions and implants or bridges. However, by detecting and treating cavities early, you can avoid pain and save money on treatment.
Click here to learn more about the different stages of tooth cavities and treatments. When cavities are not too big, they can be treated with fillings ($). It is important to note that cavities usually do not have any noticeable symptoms until they are too big to fill. You will only able to detect early stage cavities through routine dental exams.
If you wait until you have a toothache or sensitivity, then the cavity has probably already gotten close to your nerve. At this point, the likely treatment options include root canal and crown ($$) or extraction ($). The root canal and crown may cost more in the short-term, but they are less expensive than an implant or bridge ($$$).
If the cavity becomes too big, sometimes the only option left is an extraction. Some patients may decide to wait on the extraction, hoping for the pain to go away. However, even if the pain goes away, the infected root is still there. This infection may spread to your other teeth or possibly become life-threatening ($$$$).
At Smile Corners, our goal is to help our patients have healthy teeth for life so that they can enjoy the simple things in life, such as day-to-day eating. We especially encourage patients to stay on top of their oral hygiene and get treatment as soon as possible. The earlier you go to the dentist, the more options you have for treatments. If you are already missing teeth, then we can help replace them with implants, bridges or dentures.