Going to the Dentist Only When You Have Pain is Costing You Money
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| Save Money on Dental Care With Preventive Dentistry |
You might think that avoiding the dentist for regular checkups and cleanings is a good way to save money on dental care. The fact is, avoiding the dentist unless you
have a painful problem costs you more money than maintaining regular check ups
and cleanings.
50% of Americans do not see a dentist regularly. The reason for this is not that half of
Americans have perfectly healthy teeth.
Avoiding regular dental care prevents your dentist from detecting small
areas of tooth decay or early stages of gum disease. Small dental problems are not usually painful,
and you might not even notice them. Once these problems have progressed and
become more serious, they begin to cause pain.
Advanced dental disease can be a lot more expensive to repair than early
dental disease.
How Dental Work Becomes Expensive
Your dentist is
trained to detect early signs of dental disease, and can repair the problem
more easily and more affordably than saving a tooth with advanced disease. For example, a small cavity is painless,
almost invisible. Over time it grows and
expands into the vital structures within your tooth, causing pain and
infection.
A regular check up every 6
months would ensure that the tiny cavity was detected and filled long before
serious and painful damage was done to the tooth. A small filling is one of the most
inexpensive dental procedures you can have.
Take the same small cavity, but without a regular dental check-up. Over time, the cavity will grow, infiltrating
the pulp of the tooth. Once the cavity
has grown to this point, it will become painful and sensitive to hot/cold/sweet.
If you seek help from a dentist at this
point, a larger filling is almost guaranteed and a porcelain crown may be
required in order to restore the tooth’s strength. Without repair, the cavity continues to
overtake the tooth. As it reaches the
pulp, it causes intense pain, swelling and even infection. The decay may cause the tooth to fracture and
chip apart.
At this point, you are seeking an emergency dental appointment,
and the cavity needs much more than a small, inexpensive filling to repair
it. If the tooth can be saved at this
late stage of disease, it could need a root canal treatment and a dental crown
in order to remove the decay, heal the infection and strengthen the tooth. This type of extensive repair can be several
times the cost of a small filling, even with dental insurance.
Regular Dental Care Saves Money
Good dental habits at home, including brushing and flossing,
combined with regular dental care can help you save money on the cost of dental
work. A professional dental cleaning
every six months removes harmful plaque and tartar that collects along the
gumline and causes tooth decay and gum disease.
Annual x-rays make it possible to detect small areas of tooth decay,
making simple, inexpensive repairs possible.
Your regular dental exam allows your dentist to diagnose dental problems
before they become serious and painful.
Most dental plans cover the cost of preventive dental care,
such as exams and cleanings, because insurance companies know that prevention
works. If you have dental insurance, you
can stay current with your routine dental care at no cost to you. If you do not have insurance, the cost of an
exam and cleaning is far less than the cost of major dental work.
Be a Prevention Driven Dental Patient
Save your teeth and help them last you a lifetime by having
a preventive attitude about dentistry.
Practice good dental hygiene habits every day, and see your dentist for
a professional cleaning and exam every six months. This formula for success has been proven to
reduce the need for expensive, extensive dental work over time.
Even more important than saving money on
dental care, having a preventive attitude about dentistry will help you
maintain healthy teeth and gums for the rest of your life.
