A question of priority

In my 18 years of private practice as a family practitioner and Prosthodontist, I've heard all kinds of excuses for avoiding and/or delaying dental treatment. Regardless of what the excuse is, I think in most cases it is simply a question of priority. Most people can understand, on an intellectual level, that an existing pathology needs to be removed and corrected. However unless the person is in pain or discomfort, they may feel that the recommended treatment can wait or in some extreme cases totally avoided. Of course the problem with this line of thinking is that clinical pathologies never go away and as a matter of fact usually lead to irreversible damage which will require even more treatment down the line. I have seen patients regret not following through with recommended treatment too many times and those who remain consistently healthy are the ones that do not procrastinate!