Dental Health is an integral aspect of our overall health, however, we may not always give it the attention it deserves. Sometimes we are all guilty of not taking our oral health with the seriousness that it demands. By delaying visits to the dentists, many people later find out that oral health is cost effective to maintain, but costly to ignore. These may be some common reasons for delaying making that dental check-up:
Not Experiencing Any Pain
Pain is the leading cause for people to seek a doctors care. Dental problems, initially, may not elicit much pain, leading people to not scrutinize their oral health, or call immediately for an evaluation. Diseases such as dental caries (cavities) and periodontal disease are well known to progress without any significant pain until the disease has established itself. Pain in your tooth often occurs after the decay has reached your pulp, which means a root canal is now necessary. Unfortunately, by the time you are experiencing pain, something major is likely going on.
Visibility
People take great care of their skin, and face as these are aspects of our bodies which are obvious to people around us. Nothing is wrong with that, but this can leave your dental health at the bottom of your list of priorities. It is unlikely that you will look in the mirror, scouring for cavities or other oral issues.
Fear of the Dentist
The dentist has traditionally been feared due to various reasons: One-you have had prior dental visits that did not go as well as you desired. Two-You fear the dentist because others do. (people love to share their stories of a bad experience) Fear is certainly a compelling emotion and a very common reason to avoid the dentist. This is why Dr. Shlafer and our dental team have many tools available to manage all levels of your anxieties.
Cost
It is hard to ignore that cost plays a role. Many patients are now without insurance, and perhaps have less funds to manage their health care issues. It is also true that most dental insurances do not offer much assistance with dental expenditures.There are still many people that are fortunate enough to have dental insurance and they are finding that their plan limitations (set by their employer) allow only enough coverage for maintenance visits and a few minor procedures. Patients facing dental major dental treatment now realize their yearly dental maximums have not kept up with inflation and offer little financial help before that maximum is exhausted for the year. This is why we encourage our patients to take some time to sit down with us to discuss and plan treatment, so we can find ways to help you maximize insurance and flex spending benefits. We understand the challenges facing so many of our patients, and we are here to help. Now is the perfect time, if you have been delaying treatment to use insurance and flex dollars. Call us. Don’t let your unused benefits expire!