Reasons to Invest in Your Smile & Dental Health Today
Investing in your dental health today gives you a huge advantage later down the road. When you put time, effort, and money into taking care of your smile today, you'll have fewer costly, painful, and life altering dental health issues tomorrow.
Think of it like saving up for a rainy day!
No matter your age, there's never a better time to invest in your smile than right now.
What does it mean to invest in your dental health?
Investing in your dental health really boils down to two things:
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Preventative care
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Follow-up treatments recommended by your dentist
Let's explore both of these a little closer.
Preventative dental care
Preventive dental care is all about giving your teeth and gums the attention they need to stay healthy. Rather than dental care that's reacting to big problems, the goal of preventive care is to avoid issues in the first place.
You probably have a good idea of what that involves…
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Brushing your teeth twice a day
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Flossing daily
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Visiting your dentist twice a year
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Eating a balanced diet, full of antioxidants and low in sugar and acid
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Paying attention and calling your dentist if you notice any changes, sensations, or pain in your mouth
Investing in recommended treatments
The second part of a preventive dental care approach is following your dentist's care plan recommendations.
Some people are religious about going to their regular dental checkups and exams. But when their dentist recommends further treatment, like a filling or crown or maybe even something simple like flossing more regularly, it falls on deaf ears.
If you take the time to go to the dentist but don't follow the recommended treatment, you're doing your future self a huge disservice.
Remember: Your dentist is on your side — here at Towson Smile Care, we want to help you avoid big problems down the line and make sure your teeth are healthy and beautiful. It's in your best interest to pursue treatment recommendations.
This does not mean you should follow your dentist blindly. It's perfectly acceptable to ask lots of questions, do your own research, get a second opinion, and whatever else you need to feel confident you're getting the best recommendation.
Dental insurance is not meant to dictate your care
Ultimately, many people put off recommended dental treatments because of the cost. And we understand that. Not everyone has dental insurance — and even if you do, some treatments still add up to significant out-of-pocket costs.
Even if your dental insurance plan doesn't cover a certain service, it doesn't mean the treatment isn't necessary or that you shouldn't get it.
While you may not want to pay out-of-pocket for treatment, putting off simple preventive treatments now can lead to much more expensive treatments down the road.
We like to tell patients to view their dental insurance as something to help lessen the cost of care and make it more affordable — not necessarily cover the treatment in full.
Dental insurance is meant to help you afford care, not dictate it.
Your dental health is worth the cost
While every person's financial situation is unique, it's important to remember that your dental health is your health. Good health is so important for a happy life.
You also need to consider the cost of your overall health and happiness. Thanks to advances in high-tech dentistry, extensive dental problems can often be corrected. However, there are some issues that will affect your long-term health and cause permanent damage.
In fact, the health of your teeth, gums, and mouth directly affects the health of the rest of your body. Take bacteria in the mouth, for example. Left to run wild, this bacteria can sneak into your bloodstream through bleeding and inflamed gums, leading to increased risk of:
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Heart disease
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Hypertension
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Stroke
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Alzheimer's disease
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Diabetic complications
By investing in your dental health, you're actually setting yourself up for a longer and healthier life.
Crunch the numbers: Invest now, save later
Let's create a scenario where you have dental insurance with an out-of-pocket premium of $360. You visit your dentist twice a year for your routine visits and pay a $20 copay.
During one of these visit, your dentist notices you need a cavity filling. The national average for a composite filling for those with insurance is around $207. You decide you don't want to invest in that treatment right now.
Flash forward a year or two, and that tooth is causing you a lot of pain. You schedule an appointment and your dentist discovers you need a root canal. Now you're faced with a treatment that, according to the national average, costs between $762 to over $1,100, depending on the tooth.
You may have saved that $200 a year or so ago, but now you're facing upwards of $700 in dental care. And if you ignore the root canal, you'll eventually face extreme pain and be forced to take action — potentially even having the tooth extracted.
As you can see, it pays to invest in preventive care, now.
Curious about the cost of a specific treatment? Give us a call, or start by researching on the Fair Health Consumer site.
It's never too late to invest in your smile
At Towson Smile Care, we believe everyone deserves a happy, healthy life. Even if it's been years since you last visited the dentist or you're currently dealing with large, painful dental issues, you can turn things around and get on a preventive approach.
In fact, preventive habits will make a huge impact in your ability to turn your health around.
There's no better time than the present to take control of your dental health and invest in your smile. We want the best for your dental and overall health and are here to help. Contact us today to get started.