Another basic example of a dental outcome that isn ’ t caused by poor dental hygiene is cracked or broken teeth . For this I ’ ll share an anecdote about a friend of mine . My friend is a 20- something male who actually takes great care of his teeth and mouth , he doesn ’ t miss his regular checkups , brushes and flosses every day , and avoids sugary sodas . He had braces when he was younger so his bite is straight ( no malocclusions ) and his teeth are in excellent condition . However , he still suffered a broken tooth one day while eating a hamburger at a restaurant . Somewhere in amongst the soft beef patty , lettuce , tomato , cheese and other fixings he bit into something very hard and immediately chipped his tooth . Although in his case , he had the financial ability and insurance coverage that allowed him to get his damaged tooth repaired , not everyone is so fortunate . Even a simple procedure to repair a chipped tooth with a dental filling or bonding can be too expensive for some people ; delaying or completely ignoring the need to fix a broken tooth can cause infection and lead to worse outcomes . This is just one example of a freak accident that can cause a broken tooth by eating (!), but other activities such as action- and contact-sports or uncontrollable events like being in a car accident or getting mugged can put people ’ s mouths in even worse condition .
For people without adequate dental insurance coverage these situations and many others can either create significant financial hardship , if they have to pay out of pocket for treatment , or they can lead