How to Save Money with Preventive Dentistry

Preventative dentistry helps you save money because if an oral health concern is treated early on, it is often less expensive than when treated later.

For example, a filling is less expensive than a dental crown when you need to treat a cavity. Likewise, things like regular dental checkups can help prevent dental health problems like gingivitis and tooth decay.

Instead of waiting until you’re in unbearable pain to see one of our dentists, you could save a lot of money in the long run if we’re able to treat minor issues immediately. Continue reading to learn why preventive dentistry is important for not only saving money, but for protecting your oral health.

What Could Preventative Dentistry Help You Avoid?

When it comes to preventing oral health problems, preventive dentistry involves a lot of practices you can do at home, like brushing your teeth the right way and regularly.

You may think brushing your teeth twice a day is annoying, but that mixed with flossing, and a healthy diet, could help you avoid things like:

All of these problems start to cost you money down the road. A cavity may require a dental filling or even a dental crown. Both of these options require something to be created and set in your mouth, which ends up costing money, especially if you need more than one.

If you’re suffering from tooth loss, dental implants may be needed. Dental implants could cost between $1,000-$3,000 per tooth implant, or more, and those don’t even factor in the dental crown that needs to be placed on top of the implant.

Rather than rack up an expensive dental bill, take the necessary steps with preventative dentistry and brush and floss your teeth as directed.

Schedule a Teeth Cleaning Every 6 Months

In general, our dentists recommend you see us every 6 months for a teeth cleaning and oral examination.

Seeing the dentist every 6 months is important because it allows us to remove plaque and tartar before it affects your oral health. Untreated tartar buildup is one of the main causes of cavities and gum disease.

Trying to remove plaque and tartar buildup at home won’t work. Tartar is calcified plaque, and it’s way too strong for a toothbrush to break free. Only a dental professional is able to remove tartar, and if not removed tartar begins to rot your teeth.

Rather than avoid teeth cleaning and allowing plaque to build-up more and more, we recommend a cleaning every 6 months. This helps us keep an eye on plaque, treat tartar, and give you any necessary feedback to benefit your oral health.

If you have dental insurance, your routine teeth cleaning and oral examination are typically covered when spaced 6 months apart.

Catching Oral Health Issues Early

Visiting the dentist every 6 months allows us to catch problems early on, such as tooth decay, gum disease, cavities, or even oral cancer. Dealing with these problems early will not only save your oral health, but help you save money in the long run. The earlier your problem is diagnosed, the easier it’ll be to treat.

Waiting too long to see a dentist can limit your treatment options, making it difficult for us to save your smile.

While we offer tooth extraction as a last resort, we do everything in our power to protect your smile. If we can save a tooth before it needs to be extracted, that’s our goal.

Spotting oral health problems in advance also allows us to sometimes spot out other health concerns as well such as heart disease or diabetes.

Remember that dental health is connected to your general health, and the best way to make sure your body is as healthy as it can be is to take regular visits seriously. It is always our goal to catch issues early on so you can enjoy living life to the fullest.

Avoid Periodontal Disease

Did you know that 47.2% of Americans age 30 and older have periodontal disease, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention?

Don’t be a part of that percentage. Periodontal disease often means that your gums are inflamed, which can mean soreness, displeasing appearance, and infection.

One of the best ways to prevent periodontal disease is to schedule your dental cleaning twice a year.

While early gum disease (gingivitis) can be reversed with a good oral hygiene routine and teeth cleanings, the same can’t be said once it progresses into periodontal disease.

Periodontal disease can’t be cured and can cause receding gums and tooth loss if our dentists aren’t able to intervene in time.

Need More Dental Knowledge?

We hope this read has encouraged you to schedule a dental check-up so your oral health gets the attention it needs. Our dentists want to help you maintain a healthy smile through teeth cleanings, oral examinations, and other preventive dentistry. To schedule an appointment with Contemporary Family Dental, your teeth cleaning dentists in Grand Rapids, MI, feel free to call us at (616) 209-3969 or reach out to us online.

This blog post has been updated.