Many people don't see a dentist on a regular basis. They go only when
they feel they have a problem. We call this "crisis treatment" as opposed
to "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 for this 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, that is, 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 and
they have never felt a thing!