Posted on 11/10/2012 6:11:43 PM PST by RKBA Democrat
The Great Len Penzo has asked me, nay, compelled me to write a post for you, his followers, on how to save money at the dentist.
Well, he came to the right guy because I may just be the only practicing dentist/personal finance blogger on the planet. Pretty cool, huh?
So today I’ll share with you some of the best things you can do to save money on dental care so you don’t go broke at the dentist.
Dental care, like any other kind of health care, isn’t cheap. So it’s great to be able to save some money any way you can when it comes to caring for your teeth.
Dental Insurance
First, let’s talk about dental insurance. Dental insurance is a great thing, and if your workplace provides it at no cost to you, then obviously you should take it. But if you have to pay for all or part of your dental coverage, then it becomes a judgment call as to whether it’s a good deal or not.
A typical benefit is about $1,000- $1,500 per year per person and that’s it. It certainly doesn’t take long to rack up a bill that exceeds that limit. But if you have great teeth like my man Len and you rarely or hardly ever need anything other than a cleaning, then paying for insurance may be a bad deal. Just pay cash for your twice yearly cleanings and you’ll probably come out ahead in the long run.
However, if you consistently need dental work done every year or two, then insurance is probably a good deal from a numbers standpoint because they will pay out more money in claims than they take from you in premiums.
An alternative to having insurance is to insure yourself by budgeting a set amount every month for dental care. Then when the money is needed, it will be available.
Prevention
Next, let’s talk about prevention.
Most people know how to prevent tooth decay and gum disease through brushing and flossing, but not nearly enough people do it effectively.
I know this stuff is common sense for most of you but it really does work:
Brush every day at least twice, preferably three times (after every meal). You’d be amazed at the number of people that only brush two to three times per WEEK! I’ve even seen extreme cases of patients who had not brushed for YEARS! Then they come see me and ask why their mouth is hurting. I’m not joking. When you do brush, take your time. Thoroughly brush every surface of every tooth. This should take three to five minutes. Most people are shocked at how long three to five minutes seems when they are used to just brushing quickly and not really paying attention, but if you learn to be meticulous, that’s how long it takes. Use a fluoride toothpaste. Most toothpastes have it but some don’t, so read your labels. Use a fluoride rinse after you brush. Stop it with the sugared drinks already. That means sodas, sweet tea, energy drinks, sports drinks, and anything else with sugar or high fructose corn syrup. Having one occasionally is not a big deal, but sipping on them all day long causes you to get a ton of cavities very quickly and will flat out ruin your teeth. I see this a lot in my practice and wonder why so many people never make the connection between lots of sugar and lots of cavities. Get your teeth cleaned every six months. No, this is not a racket for your dentist to make more money. It’s called prevention. Cleaning the tartar buildup off your teeth regularly keeps you from getting gum disease, and a regular exam helps to find any problems at an early stage before they get out of hand and cost more to fix. Don’t go to the cheapest dentist in town. Not all, but some will try to make up for cheap fees by doing more work. It’s sad but true. Ask your friends and family who they trust. When it comes down to it, some people are just more genetically prone to dental problems, and those people are going to end up spending more money on dental care than other people who aren’t.
It stinks, I know, but it makes the tips above that much more important for those people.
Also, if you have mild dental fear, you don’t have to put off dental work anymore and incur larger bills because you waited too long due to fear.
You can ask the dentist for a mild sedative such as Valium or laughing gas (nitrous oxide). If you’re extremely fearful you can even ask for a deeper form of anxiety control called conscious sedation. If your dentist won’t do it, then find one that will.
In this day and age, with the anxiety management tools we now have, dentistry can be done much more comfortably than in the past.
I hope these tips help you save a lot of money and time at the dental office.
When I began to floss before brushing, which was just once at night before bed (in the shower, so I could make plenty of mess without worrying about it) I stopped getting cavities of any kind. I’ve had some old crowns get loose and teeth chip, but that’s it.
I chewed leaf tobacco for thirty years and never had a problem with my teeth. I’ve been off it for three years now and my teeth aren’t doing as well. Go figure.
It’s cheaper to drive to Tijuana for dental care than to get it locally in San Jose CA.
Makes sense, and also it really is only needed to floss in between. Flossing the front and back of teeth is redundant, the brush will hit that part just fine.
Also there is no need to use anything harder than a soft toothbrush. Stiffer bristles will wound the gum. I don’t know what good the little rubber nib on some tooth brushes can do. They say stimulate the gums, but just plain eating will do that.
The processed kind might be more troublesome than leaves au naturel, because of sugar added to it.
Don’t swallow your toothpaste and you will be fine with fluoride toothpaste. Fluoride is a mild antiseptic. People debate the gain to be had from fluoridated water; I personally would prefer getting it in toothpaste as too much can be harmful.
Maybe minor damage but heals tough. I toughen mine up with a small barbecue cleaning brush -- new, of course, stainless steel bristles and a nice curvature on the profile.
Yes, people from all over the country travel to Tijuana for implants and other advanced work, which is very expensive here. Lately I have seen some low ball implant shops in the states, but wonder how the quality suffers with the unavoidable overhead we have up here.
Dental decay for me nearly ended when I went to diet soft drinks years ago, but there was so much restorative work earlier that a great many of the teeth have to be crowned now, as the fillings fall apart and the teeth crack around them.
I just had to have a bridge replaced. It was 15 years old. (Long life for a bridge). My portion with insurance was about $600 then. It was $1500 this year with same coverage.
Floss. It’ll take care of 99% of your dental bills by getting all that food stuff, germs and junk from in between your teeth and under your gums.
Think I’ll go floss right now. I feel good afterward....
I like my Water Pik; have a free standing one and it’s pretty good. Also, what about using baking soda to brush and hydrogen peroxide to rinse? I do that; always rinse the hydrogen peroxide out in water though as it’s pretty strong.
Get'em all pulled......(or visit an Oral Surgeon)
Hydrogen peroxide *liberates* oxygen:
2H2O2 --> 2H2O + O2
Cheers!
2) Drinking bottled water has led to an increase in cavities because it's usually not fluoridated. Good old tap water, if its palatable, is preferable.
3) If you have slight soreness of the gums or maybe a mouth sore, rinse your mouth with hydrogen peroxide. Very cheap and extremely effective.
You got dentures for $300 to $400s and they work nearly perfectly? I would have guessed thousands by now. I remember my Grandma’s dentures were not real fun for her. Isn’t it hard to eat many foods, and don’t they slip around and even come out on their own every so often? I know someone that may benefit from your info.
I've had store boughts for about 20 years and I sure don't miss my teeth. I went to a Denture Clinic for extractions. {shop around check customer reviews etc first}. Two reasons for clinics it's cheaper and the dentist specializes in pulling teeth and stays in practice at it LOL. I don't buy the most expensive ones I usually buy one grade above bottom price. This is my third set. First set I would buy the cheapest {temporary dentures} as the gums shrink somewhat. Denture Clinics are also much more experienced in doing the mold impressions and the best part is the fitting adjustments are done there on the spot. No leaving them somewhere for a few days.
In about 8-10 trips you can get them all out. Obviously start with doing either upper or lower first in entirety.
As for fit and staying in? Plastics and adhesives have came a long way. I use Zinc Free Poligrip in a tube also free of color and flavor. I do enjoy steak :>} My daughter is a Dental Tech and she says mine look natural.
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