Overcoming the Fear of Costly Dental Treatment: Strategies for Affordable Care

Overcoming the Fear of Costly Dental Treatment: Strategies for Affordable Care

by | Apr 16, 2024 | Dental Insurance, Dentistry, Fear

In today’s world, the fear of expensive dental treatment often prevents individuals from seeking the care they need, leading to worsening oral health and increased discomfort. However, there are proactive steps that patients can take to confront this fear and access the dental care they require without breaking the bank.

  1. Research Financing Options: Many dental offices offer flexible financing programs, such as CareCredit, Lending Club, Best Egg, and Cherry, that allow patients to spread out the cost of treatment over manageable monthly payments. By exploring these financing options, individuals can access the care they need without experiencing financial strain.
  2. Prioritize Preventive Care: Investing in preventive dental care, such as regular check-ups, cleanings, and healthy diets, can help individuals avoid more costly treatments down the line. By maintaining good oral hygiene habits and addressing dental issues early, patients can minimize the need for expensive procedures in the future.
  3. Understand Insurance Coverage: While dental insurance can help offset the cost of treatment, it’s essential to understand the limitations of your coverage. Many insurance plans have annual maximums that may not fully cover the cost of necessary procedures. By familiarizing yourself with your insurance policy and its coverage limits, you can avoid surprises when it comes time to pay for treatment.
  4. Communicate with Your Dentist: Open communication with your dentist is key to addressing concerns about cost and finding solutions that work for your budget. Your dentist can provide guidance on treatment options, financing plans, and alternative solutions that may be more affordable while still meeting your oral health needs.
  5. Prioritize Your Oral Health: Remember that investing in your oral health is an investment in your overall well-being. Ignoring dental problems due to cost concerns can lead to more significant issues and higher expenses down the road. By prioritizing your oral health and seeking timely treatment, you can avoid costly complications and enjoy a healthier smile for years to come.

By taking proactive steps to address concerns about the cost of dental treatment, individuals can overcome their fears and access the care they need to maintain optimal oral health. With financing options, preventive care, and open communication with their dentist, patients can achieve a healthy smile without breaking the bank. Don’t let cost be a barrier to your dental health—take action today to prioritize your oral well-being.

Remember, a healthy smile is priceless!

When was the last time you had a dental exam?

When was the last time you had a dental exam?

by | Apr 12, 2017 | Cavities, Cavity, Dentistry, Fear, Medical Issues, Nutrition, Periodontal Disease, Prevention, Tooth Decay, Tooth Loss, Toothache

Many people believe that since they aren’t experiencing dental symptoms – like tooth pain or bleeding gums – then all must be well.

Unfortunately, a sizable number of dental problems, including cavities and periodontal disease (bone loss around your teeth), just don’t produce obvious symptoms in their early stages.  At least not symptoms that tend to be obvious to patients.

In fact, by the time people the average person experiences pain, his dental issue is typically pretty far along.  And all too often, by then, the problem can also be quite expensive to handle.

It might amaze you to discover the types of problems your average dentist encounters every week, many of which you would expect to be painful, but they just aren’t.  They can still result in tooth loss though.

Pretty much anyone who has ever worked in a dental office for any length of time will tell you this is so.  And they will tell you that you can inform some people that they have a problem, but unless it is “real” to them, they just won’t do anything about it.

They may come back a few years later (or maybe sooner) – usually with an emergency – desperately wanting to save the tooth that you told them about earlier.  Of course, by now, it may be too late.  And very often they will have forgotten it was ever discussed at all, because it was never a realistic problem for them to begin with.

Human nature can be funny that way.

So, keeping that in mind, it’s generally a good idea to get checked out by a dentist.  Regularly.

The best news you can hear is that everything looks great.

But sometimes getting a confirmation that you don’t have cavities or gum disease is not the only reason to get a dental exam.  Over the years, I have detected cancer (not just oral cancer) – as well as a host of other non-dental problems – that might have been overlooked had the patient not scheduled an exam.  Obviously, we refer patients to an appropriate specialist for treatment when we discover medical problems outside the scope of dental practice.

Other benefits of getting a dental exam:  I can recall many patients who told me that what they thought were unrelated health problems simply resolved when their oral problems were gotten under control.  These have included digestive problems, low energy problems, elevated blood cell counts, hypertension, and more.

Over the years, some people have told me they don’t want to get a dental exam because they don’t want to discover they have any problems.   I guess that works.

Just maybe not too well.

Your overall health is connected to your oral health.  Take a look at this infographic.  Then think it over. . . .

Tooth Extraction Stress

Tooth Extraction Stress

by | Feb 11, 2017 | Cavities, Dentistry, Fear, Tooth Decay, Tooth Loss

In my experience, extractions freak people out.

So it’s always gratifying when a patient can leave my office joking and smiling after the experience, such as happened in my office two days ago.

In fact, another patient, actually gave me a big hug after her extraction the following day.

And that got me to thinking about this entire area. . . .

No one (usually*) wants to lose teeth.  And we, as dentists, don’t want people to lose them either, but sometimes there is little choice if a tooth has been allowed to get bad enough, or if periodontal disease is so advanced that there is no hope of reversal.  [*Though, I did have a young boy actually request a tooth extraction last week — but I’m pretty sure he was really hoping for a visit from the tooth fairy. ]

Nevertheless, I see many people really work themselves up over the thought of the procedure.  In fact, the first patient I mentioned actually rescheduled her original appointment when she learned she needed the extraction. She had a hard time confronting the idea of removing her tooth.

Trust me.  I get it.

But, to her credit, she did show up for her appointment and when we were done – as I have heard so many times before – she said: “I can’t believe I worked myself up for that.”

Even with her tooth being so badly decayed that there was barely anything to get a hold of, her experience was pretty quick and painless.

So, her worry was just stress on top of stress.

My first piece of advice on this point is try not to need an extraction.  Toward that end, try to keep up with regular dental visits, eat a healthy diet, and don’t forget — you control your home care.  But, if you do need to have a tooth removed, talk to your doctor about your concerns.

In most cases, your anticipation of what is to come will be far worse than the experience.  Still, delaying the inevitable is seldom a good thing.  It can make it harder for the doctor too.  So why not just make it easier on everybody?

And relax.  It’ll be ok.