What Happens if I Don’t Complete My Dental Treatment?

What happens if I don’t complete my dental treatment? If you have procrastinated to complete any dental treatment you started but left halfway through, it’s important to know how urgent it is to take action in finalizing it. From braces to prostheses and even resins, there are several treatments patients do not finish, and as professional oral health providers we know all about the consequences it implies and the solutions to resolve them. But we also know that treating a dental illness, problem or condition initially is easier and has a better prognosis of success than solving a problem caused by leaving a treatment uncompleted. Without taking into account the economic impact, doing a dental procedure twice or needing additional treatment will increase your overall cost.

Incomplete Dental Treatments

Leaving dental procedures incomplete can have serious consequences on your oral health. Therefore, it is crucial that once you receive any dental treatment, you follow your dentist’s indications and visit your dental office when indicated to avoid any complications during the progress of your dental treatment. Dental treatments aim to detect, prevent, and treat dental problems, such as tooth decay or gum disease. They also boost your oral health and keep it in good condition.

Since each specific procedure has its own specific consequence when left uncompleted, the question: “What happens if I don’t complete my dental treatment?” has several answers. For example, leaving an orthodontic treatment inactive for 6 continuous months or more might have the consequence of having to remove your braces and get the procedure started all over again, especially if the arch or several brackets fall off. Another example are root canals. Once a root canal is completed, it is advisable to seal and protect the tooth with a dental crown, and it is common that when removing the pain, the patient does not return for this important final step, which leads to the most usual consequences: fractures and resurgence of infection. Finish your dental treatment properly with the help of the best dentists in Tijuana!

5 Examples of Incomplete Dental Treatments

If you leave your treatment incomplete because you believe nothing bad will happen, you must know that doing so could do further damage. Here are some examples of the most common dental treatments that patients usually leave unfinished:

• Orthodontic procedure
• Placement of permanently fixed prostheses
• Periodontal treatment and maintenance
• Decay removal (resins/fillings)
• Post-operatory progress checkups after surgical procedures

Dental braces are one of the most common procedures patients do not complete. If you have started this dental treatment, we recommend you to visit your orthodontist at least once a month or as suggested. This way, you can avoid hygiene complications and extend the total treatment time. When you leave your braces inactive for several months, you are extending their estimated duration. It takes approximately 18 to 24 months to get your teeth and occlusion aligned, so there’s no need to spend more time with the treatment. 

dental implants in Tijuana are one of the best alternatives for patients who suffer from missing teeth because they will restore their smile and ability to properly chew their meals. You must keep in mind that dental implants, just like your natural teeth, are still at risk of suffering the consequences caused by oral bacteria, because the support and surrounding tissues (bone and gums) are part of the natural anatomy of the mouth, therefore; hygiene, periodic checkups and maintenance cleanings are essential to extend the implants lifetime.

You can find periodontal treatment in Tijuana if you need to eliminate bacteria from your gums and remove tartar build-up from your teeth. Once you have been treated for periodontal disease, either with periodontal scaling and root planning either with close or open flap depending on the severity of your case, in order for you not to go through that process again, it is essential that you do periodontal maintenance cleanings every 3-4 months to keep the bacteria controlled. Unfortunately, this cannot be accomplished without the patient following the at-home recommendations and cleaning techniques provided by the dentist to prevent the problem from resurging or escalating.