Risks of delaying Treatment

Risk of delaying dental treatment Highlands Ranch dentist

Modern health care has been spectacular in the last 100 years.  Modern antibiotics (penicillin) was not available until around WW II. This fact sometimes lulls us into a false sense of security that what ever happens we are just a "pill" away from a cure.  In addition, most of the time, we believe that pain or discomfort is an absolute sign that some pathology or disease is going on.  This is true for the vast majority of life's illnesses except for the "silent illnesses".  Dental disease, like certain types cancers have minor or no symptoms until the disease has progressed significantly.  In thedental field when the patient complains of pain... in many instances... we may be looking at a root canal or extracting the tooth.  Our Highlands Ranch dentists, Dr. James DeLapp and Dr. H. Candace DeLapp provide general dentistry to their patients living in the southeast corridor of the Denver Metro area.  Dental patients come from Ken Caryl, Lone Tree, Castle Pines, Douglas County, Parker, Greenwood Village, and Denver Colorado.

Our Highlands Ranch dentists have seen over the last week several patients who have delayed dental treatment.  The reason given include:

• Severe dental anxiety
• Financial problems
• Time issues... their life is just too busy
• It does not bother me... it does not hurt
• Other

Currently, our Highlands Ranch dentists are treating a dental phobic whose dental treatment went from a couple thousand dollars to 11 thousand dollars.  Delaying treatment was not in the patient's best interest.  What can we do?

Severe dental anxiety Highlands Ranch dentists

Our Highlands Ranch dentist can help the severe dental phobic obtain treatment.  These ways include but are not limited to:

• General anesthesia in a hospital setting
• I.V. Sedation in the dental office with a dental anesthesiologist
• Oral pre-medication
• Nitrous oxide/oxygen
• Local anesthesia

Financial options and solutions

Our Highlands Ranch dentists provide financial options including Care Credit to help make treatment more affordable on a monthly basis. Please call our office for details or Google Care Credit at (303) 694-9740.

Time issues

Our dental office is open from 7:00 till 6:00 Monday and Tuesday and till 5:00 on Wednesday and Thursday.  On Friday's both doctors teach at the University of Colorado School of Dental Medicine. In addition, our Highlands Ranch dentist block book to maximize treatment in the available time.  This provides for treatment in as few appointments as we can arrange.

It does not bother me... it does not hurt.

Our Highlands Ranch dentist have found this to be the most difficult one to deal with. Some patients just want to delay treatment because it does not hurt.  For "many" their dental health does not deteriorate rapidly.  For some that is not the case.  The problem is we can't accurately identify those who will break down rapidly versus those who are on a gradual decline.  Certainly, home care (brushing and flossing) along with diet and fluoride helps tremendously.  For those with rapid decline... there are protocols that mitigate the response but we cannot predict to what level.

Catching a problem early is much easier to deal with than waiting for the problem to occur.  Our Highlands Ranch dentist can preserve more tooth structure (tooth banking).  As a general rule ... the more tooth you have left ... the better your prognosis.  Please feel to contact our Highlands Ranch dentist and schedule and appointment today at(303) 694-9740.  Our dentists serve Parker, Denver, Greenwood Village, Highlands Ranch, Castle Pines, Lone Tree and Douglas County Colorado.