The Importance of Preventive Dental Care
Most adult Americans recognize the importance of good health care, and it's been a pretty hot topic of conversation over the past several years. But where does dental care and oral hygiene come in? Many people completely underestimate just how important dental care is, which is surprising when you consider how few health insurance plans actually include dental coverage.
Millions of Americans Go Without Dental Insurance
According to a Surgeon General report from the year 2000, while 44 million Americans had no health insurance, a whopping 108 million lacked dental insurance. Clearly, the importance of dental insurance and dental care is considered to be far lower than health care in general.
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The Price of Poor Dental Health
In fact, good oral health is much more important than most people realize. If you've ever had serious dental problems, you know just how bad they can make you feel. Even a minor tooth ache can make you feel generally unwell. Mouth pain can keep you awake at night, leading to lack of sleep that leaves you feeling fatigued and run-down.
Even worse, neglecting your oral health, while saving you money in the short term, will actually end up costing you a great deal more in the long run. You might think you're saving money by forgoing an annual dental checkup, but without regular dental visits, you do risk your long-term oral health.
Mouth conditions such as gingivitis and periodontal disease can cause cavities, bleeding gums and severe pain, and eventually may even cause tooth loss. As for fixing those problems, the expense can be enormous.
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Protect Your Smile and Your Wallet
A much better solution — both for your oral health and for your finances — is preventative dental care. If your employer health care plan doesn't include insurance (or if you don't have an employer plan), you can keep insurance costs down by choosing a higher co-pay plan, as long as you're only planning on one or two visits a year.
Regular twice-annual or even just annual even dental checkups will keep serious problems at bay, keep you smiling, and keep more money in your wallet.