Many people don't see a dentist on a regular basis. They go only when they feel they have a problem.  At James V Shaner DDS we call this "crisis treatment" as opposed to "preventive treatment".

While these patients may feel they are saving money, it usually ends up costing much more in both dollars and time.  The reason for this is that most dental problems don't have any symptoms until they reach the advanced stages.

An example is tooth decay.  At James V Shaner DDS we hear all the time, "Nothing hurts... I don't have any problems".  But tooth decay doesn't hurt!  Until, that is, it gets close to the nerve of the tooth.

Then a root canal and crown are usually necessary, instead of the small filling, which could have been placed several years ago when the cavity was small.  We can usually detect a cavity 3-4 years before it may develop any symptoms.  It is not uncommon to see a patient with a tremendous cavity and they have never felt a thing!

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