In an effort to save money, people often skip their routine dental visits and important treatments. However, this does the opposite of what’s intended, giving small oral health problems an opportunity to progress and become worse, leading to more extensive treatments and possibly permanent oral damage. If you want to bulk up your wallet this year, the best way to do that is to utilize your insurance benefits and visit your dentist for routine checkups and cleanings. Read on to learn four ways this will help you save.
Treat Gum Disease Early On
Gum disease is one of the most common oral health problems among adults, impacting an estimated one out of two people in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. When left untreated, gum disease can progress in severity, leading to permanent damage to the smile, like tooth loss. At each checkup and cleaning, your dentist will examine your gums in an effort to spot any signs of infection early on, giving them a greater chance to reverse the symptoms and restore the health of your smile.
Prevent Dental Staining
At each of your professional cleanings, they polish your teeth using a special, gritty substance called prophylaxis paste. It’s gentle enough to be safe to use on your teeth, but it’s also strong enough to break apart surface discoloration that can cause them to look yellow, likely from consuming staining beverages and foods. If you skip out on a professional cleaning, you may need to pay out-of-pocket for professional teeth whitening to get your teeth bright again.
Detect Oral Cancer Early
Oral cancer screenings are conducted at each of your bi-annual checkups to look for abnormalities that you may not notice yourself, like rough patches in the mouth or oral sores. Your dentist does this every six months in hopes of catching the disease early on, when it’s easiest to treat. Not only can this save your life, but it may also save you from incredibly large medical bills.
Tackle Decay & Infection
Two common oral health problems that dentists treat and catch are cavities and infections. When left untreated, decay can burrow deep within the tooth, leaving a path for harmful bacteria to infect the pulp. With routine visits to your dentist, you can catch cavities early on, meaning they only require a filling to treat, before they have a chance to develop into an infection that requires a root canal and dental crown.
While in the past, you may have believed that the best way to save money is to avoid your dentist at all costs, now you know that that’s often not the case! When you take advantage of your preventive dental insurance coverage, you can enjoy free or incredibly low-priced routine checkups and cleanings to keep your oral health on the right track, saving you from needing more pricey treatments down the road.
About the Author
Dr. Grant Ringler has decades of experience as a dentist under his belt. He’s passionate about helping his patients achieve happy, healthy smiles for a lifetime, which is why he focuses on providing thorough preventive checkups and cleanings. He also utilizes the latest technology in his office for precise diagnoses and treatment planning. If it has been longer than six months since you’ve last seen a dentist, schedule an appointment on our website or call 620-708-4045.