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, 2008 |
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Living a Better Life Can't Afford
Dental Care? I’ve wanted to write about this subject for over a year now, and you can bet my dentist will be glad when he learns that I finally have. I know dental care is not an exciting subject, but, reading this month's column can save you thousands of dollars in unwanted dental bills - and, you’ll also have healthier teeth. * * * As frugal and budget-minded people, we are often the ones that will cut anything from a monthly budget that can be cut, including regular dental visits. But, the reality is, these regular dental visits which cost about $100 - $140 a year for two visits (if you don’t have insurance), will save you thousands of dollars in dental repair bills as you get older. Of course there are also other things you need do to keep your teeth healthy besides regular dental cleanings, including brushing your teeth with fluoride toothpaste at least twice a day (after every meal is even better). And flossing your teeth is not over-rated; it really makes a difference, even if you don’t do it every day. There are many different types of dental floss on the market now, so if you’ll test a few of them out hopefully you'll find one you like. My favorite is the Tarter Control Mint Floss by Reach® (it’s a green and white twisted yarn-like floss, and easy on sensitive gums). My husband however, hates this floss and prefers the regular Mint Waxed Floss. To each his own. If you’re budget is really tight, not only will your dentist give you a new toothbrush at every cleaning visit, but you can ask for some dental floss too. Toothbrushes don't last forever as we may like to believe, once they start to show a little wear they need to be replaced. So by keeping your regular visits to the dentist office you'll always have a new toothbrush, and so will every member of your family. That will save a small bundle of money as well. If you haven’t been to the dentist in a while, you may not know that even children are supposed to be flossing their teeth daily. And if you do have children, it probably goes without saying; please take them to the dentist for regular cleanings. Just think of how you’ll feel when you get a bill for $300 - for putting a filling in a baby tooth that will be coming out in a few years anyways, what a waste of money. And by the way, unless the baby tooth is about to come out within a few months, go ahead and fill it no matter what the cost. The results of letting it go could be a cracked tooth that has to be pulled. Not only will that cost twice as much as the filling would have, but it will be much more painful for your child too. Trust me; this is a "been there-done that," and though the child got through the procedure okay, her mom almost fainted in the waiting room. Then there’s sugar, we all know it’s bad for us, and bad for our teeth. I read somewhere recently that drinking sodas with a straw will actually help save your teeth because the sugary soda doesn’t coat your teeth as when you drink straight from the glass. You should also choose sugar-free gum for keeping your teeth healthy, and just skip the candy. If you can get a dental plan with your employer's company benefits then get it, the problem is, many companies do not offer one. If you don’t have insurance and need an inexpensive policy, we have a dental insurance section right here on the site (the link is always located over in the left hand column under Dental Plans). Our family purchased a dental plan similar to this for several years before we were offered a better (and more expensive) policy with a new employer, and it did help a lot. I believe on our private discount plan the cleaning visits were almost free and fillings and crowns were covered by 50%. It is recommended that you have a dental cleaning and check-up every six months. (The American Dental Association can back me up on this; you can visit their web site at ada.org). It may seem unimportant to you now, but by not having these semi-annual cleaning visits there is also some damage to your teeth and gums that cannot be repaired. Sadly, some people end up just having their teeth pulled because they can’t afford the $1,000 bill to get one repaired… about the same amount they would have paid to get regular cleanings for 10 years – but in that case they’d have healthy teeth. Here's a shocker that will hopefully get you on the phone to make your next dental check-up... it’s taken my family 6 years, and over $8,000.00, to make up for not having dental insurance for the first 10 years of our marriage. Sure, even with the regular dental appointments we might have had a few fillings over the years, but nothing compared to this - and all because we couldn’t “afford it.” What an irony. It’s your money, and your teeth… find a way to keep them both.
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Copyright © 2002 by Michelle Jones Click Here for Quality Affordable Dental Care and our Exclusive Discount!
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