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I know it’s a little gross, but there’s a good lesson here.

Has you dentist ever mentioned that you have a tooth that’s forming cracks? Has he recommended a crown for that tooth? It’s a common situation, particularly for teeth that have been filled multiple times over the years and especially for people who clench or grind their teeth.

The most common response I hear is, “But it doesn’t hurt so how bad could it be?” It’s like when I take my car in for service and the mechanic tells me my do-hickey is wearing out. My first thought is that I’ll fix it when it goes. Well, here’s what happens when a tooth “goes”.

This patient was told there was a crack in her molar, but it didn’t hurt and she decided to postpone treatment. The crack got worse and the tooth broke. At no point along the way did it hurt. That is unusual, but sometimes it happens that way. You can see what happened to the tooth. This could have been prevented and she would still have her tooth.

With today’s technology, we can find problems early and take steps to restore and protect teeth before the damage gets too far. Remember, just because it doesn’t hurt doesn’t mean there’s no problem. Often, pain doesn’t occur until it’s too late.

Now, I think I’ll go have my do-hickey replaced….

Yours in health,

Dr. Bill Greenberg