The nation’s dental industry is highly advanced and does a great job of helping people maintain good oral health and great smiles. However, the types of foods that people consume often lead to cavities. According to the Washington Post, more than 26% of adults in the United States have untreated cavities. Many of them know they have cavities but make the mistake of ignoring them. If you have any untreated cavities, here are four reasons why you shouldn’t ignore them.
 

1. They Can Get Worse

A cavity won’t cure itself, and it will often get worse over time. Even if you brush and floss more frequently because you know you have a cavity, the problem will eventually get worse. The cavity can catch food and hold it in place, which makes it harder to remove and promotes the growth of harmful bacteria. Eventually, the cavity will go deeper and might damage your tooth badly enough to require its removal. It will also cause more pain.

2. They Can Spread to Other Teeth

When you have one cavity and ignore it, you soon might have more of them. A cavity can spread from one tooth to another because of their very close alignment. Catching a cavity early is relatively simple to treat by drilling it out and filling it in with some basic cosmetic dentistry. If you have dental insurance, the procedure can be very affordable and will stop the spread of cavities.

3. They Might Require Painful Dental Work

When you ignore a cavity for too long, you are more likely to need a root canal and a crown to fix it. Modern dentistry is great at minimizing pain, but it hurts to get shots and have the roots cleaned out. The cosmetic dentistry needed to replace the missing tooth enamel also raises the cost, which could cause pain in your wallet as well as your teeth. The sooner you get a cavity treated, the less it will hurt physically and financially.

4. They Could Cause Dangerous Gum Disease

Ignoring a cavity might endanger more than your teeth. It could spread to the gums and trigger gum disease. If you continue ignoring the condition, the gum disease might become infected and possibly spread to your jaw or become a life-threatening condition. It is possible to die of a gum infection that causes sepsis or reaches the brain.

Please call Boise Dental Chair to learn more about basic dental and cosmetic dentistry and our other services. Schedule an appointment today. We look forward to hearing from you!