You’ve probably heard that stitch in time can save nine. The idea that prompt action can prevent more complicated problems from occurring isn’t a new one, but many patients are hesitant to apply it to dental care. This is understandable, of course – if you’re on a budget, spending money on your teeth can be stressful!
What if you were told, though, that booking a timely appointment can actually help you save money in the long run? If you want to learn how, keep reading.
Early Detection Can Lower Treatment Costs
Let’s say you do visit your dentist for a checkup. They perform a standard oral exam – and discover that you have a small cavity eating away at one of your pearly whites. In a matter of minutes, they can treat the issue with a simple filling, preventing the decay from spreading to your other teeth.
There’s a version of this story where you don’t visit your dentist until you develop a serious toothache. At that point, the cavity could be affecting such a wide area that you need a root canal or several fillings to restore your oral health. That’s why dentists recommend making biannual checkup and cleaning appointments – detecting problems early is much less expensive than trying to manage the aftermath!
Removing Plaque and Tartar Prevents Oral Illness
After checking in on your oral health, your dentist will give your smile a professional cleaning. This might seem redundant if you keep up with daily dental hygiene at home, but your toothbrush and floss are just one part of the preventative care equation. While brushing twice per day and flossing once per day will mitigate bacteria growth and reduce your risk of oral illness, it won’t remove plaque and tartar, which are just as harmful.
Thankfully, your dentist can take care of these substances every six months with their special tools and training!
Use Your Dental Insurance Benefits or Lose It
Dental insurance can be a great resource for cutting your dental bill down to size, but there’s one very important point you should keep in mind if you want to take full advantage of your premium. Every year on January 1st, your benefits completely reset. If you wait until December to squeeze in all your smile needs, you could end up leaving hundreds or even thousands of dollars on the table. Remember to book your appointments strategically so you don’t lose out on your insurance benefits!
As you can see, there are plenty of ways your dentist can actually help you save money on dental care. Even if you don’t have dental insurance, they may be able to put you on a monthly payment plan through organizations like CareCredit. So don’t delay – schedule your visit today!
About the Practice
At Central Dental Associates, we’re proud to accept many different dental insurance plans, and readily offer CareCredit flexible financing to patients who don’t have insurance. Our goal is to provide whole-health dentistry using a team-based approach; whether you need emergency treatment or would like to schedule a checkup and cleaning, we’ve got your oral needs covered! To contact our office, call 781-769-3566.