As any dentist in the world will tell you, the most important aspect of oral care is regular brushing of your teeth. This may sound incredibly simple yet we still have to reiterate this as not enough people do it. The dangers of not brushing your teeth go way beyond having stained or off-white teeth, there are many health risks which you could face if you are not looking to regularly brush your teeth.
The consumption of certain types of food can of course impact the health of your teeth, and so too can bad habits such as smoking and drinking alcohol. With this being said however, brushing should form the foundation of your oral care. Tooth pain is not very pleasant at all, and not brushing will increase your chances of having dental issues. As many of us more than well aware, dental procedures can be very costly indeed. If money motivates you, then these expensive dental procedures will no doubt worry you enough to keep on brushing those gnashers. These are some of the costly procedures which you may have to go through if you aren’t taking good care of your teeth.
How To Brush Teeth
A recent study of dentists such as SomnoMed found that 40% believe that their patients are not brushing their teeth in the correct way. This is actually a startling figure, especially for something which most of us assume to be so simple. This starts with the brush, and everyone should be looking to use a medium firm brush. Hard brushes can hurt the gums, and brushes which are too soft can have little to no impact when it comes to cleaning teeth. The best option is an electronic toothbrush, but if you do have a standard brush this can still work well. Brush your teeth from front to back, not forgetting to brush behind the teeth too. Using circular motions will help you to get everything from behind the teeth and ensure full coverage. A 2-3 minute clean will be enough, and this should happen every morning and night, as well as after eating if you are able to.
All on Four Implants
One of the dental procedures which you can go through is having ‘all on four’ implants placed to fill the space where you have lost teeth. Losing teeth is a very real risk if you have failed to brush and decay has taken place. These false teeth are anchored to four implants instead of just one, and the cost of the procedure can be more than $30,000, depending on how many teeth you have lost. If this happens when you are old we can put it down to many years of living, if it happens when you are younger however, this is a cost you could have avoided.
Periodontal Surgery
This particular surgery is for your gums, which can recede if you haven’t taken care of them. Remember that when you brush the teeth you are doing much more than cleaning in-between, you are also cleaning your gums and keeping them healthy. What happens during this particular procedure is that the dentist will lift the gums up and then clean all of the tartar which has built up underneath them. As if this wasn’t gruesome enough, they will then have to put those gums tightly back on the teeth s as to prevent leaving any gaps where bacteria could build up. This procedure is not enjoyable in the slightest and you will have to pay over $3,000 for the privilege.
Full Mouth Implants
If you really haven’t taken good care of your teeth then your dentist may actually recommend that you have full mouth implants. This will involve removing all teeth from your mouth, as well as any broken or chipped teeth which may still be rooted to the gums. You will then have a set of false teeth made which you will have to use forever. This is the most final and extreme option if you have not looked after your teeth, but it is a risk which you run if you don’t brush. Losing all of your teeth is not something which most people would like to do, and they will enjoy it even less so when they are given the bill, which could be $50,000 or more. The costs will depend on what material is chosen for the false teeth.
Veneers
Whilst veneers are more often than not considered a cosmetic procedure, they may be your best option if you have seriously damaged teeth. The process of veneers will involve your own teeth being shaved down, and then the new cap will be placed on top. Prices can vary depending on what kind of veneers you choose for you teeth, with porcelain being the most expensive and composite being the lowest priced. The issue with getting veneers however is that they are much more brittle than our own teeth, and therefore need to be cared for a great deal. Additionally veneers will not last forever, no matter how much you look after them, so you will have to pay once again to have those veneers done. This could cost you anywhere from $15,000 to $30,000 each time you have the process done, depending on which material you choose.
Not only should you be regularly brushing your teeth in order for them to look good, you should also be regularly brushing so that your teeth stay healthy. If you do not do this, these procedures are just some of the potential results. Beyond the cost of each of these surgeries, the personal impact is huge. You will have to take time off, you will have tough and painful recovery time and you will have your body altered forever, simply for not doing the most basic of daily task. Beyond this you should always ensure that you have regular checkups with a dentist, so that you can tackle any issues when they first appear.
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