One of the big issues is many of the small problems really are not painful or uncomfortable and the patient has no idea that they’re happening until they get fairly significant. Gum disease is the slow chronic infection of the gum tissues and it really doesn’t hurt until the teeth are loose. By that time, we’re really in a lot of trouble and a lot of damage has been done. Also, tooth decay generally doesn’t hurt. If the first person that is able to see it is the patient, they’ve got a pretty big problem. Frequently, during cursory exams, oral exams, radiographic exams, x-ray exams, we can find small incipient lesions, small cavities and discuss with the patient why we recommend treatment before it gets much more significant as well as the links to gum disease.
Impacted wisdom teeth can be found that could be damaging other teeth. If your third molar damages your second molars, instead of taking out 4 wisdom teeth we could be taking out 8 teeth because the other teeth are damaged. There are many, many things not to mention the oral cancer screening. We’ve diagnosed a number of cases of oral cancer in our office in my 25 years. Fortunately, we caught them early and with some minor resections, some minor surgeries, our patients have done very well because of that. The more nervous people are and afraid to go to the dentist, the more I think they need to go and hear the good news that everything looks okay or fix the problems while they’re still small.
Dr. Anthony Bielkie is the founder of Stoneridge Dental where patients can find all dental services under one roof and where the team of staff are welcoming and dedicated to making your dental visit a very pleasant part of your day. To learn more about Stoneridge Dental, visit www.stoneridgedental.com or call (586) 739-6400 in Shelby Township or (586) 771-3440 in St. Clair Shores or (586) 412-7100 in Clinton Township.
