How Does Preventitive Dentistry Save Our Patients Money
The cost of preventing dental diseases is minimal compared to what it costs to cure them. Wurzbach Parkway Family Dental understands that every penny saved on dental procedures is a penny that can be spent on something much more fun. That’s why we’ve compiled a short guide on the most cost-effective and health-effective dental procedures available.
Educate Yourself: Eat Right And Read The Ingredients Label
One of the most important things you can do to lengthen the lifespan your teeth is to educate yourself on the best and worst foods for your mouth.
Proper nutrition is critical to maintaining oral health. Everyone knows that sugar is a dentist’s arch nemesis, but do you know just how many foods contain this villain? (Hint: way more than you think.) A good way to spot if a particular food has added sugar is to read the label; if it contains a word ending in “-ose,” then you know that’s a sugar ingredient.
Even sugar substitutes, like Splenda and Equal, are bad for your teeth (they have the same enamel-eroding effect as sugar does.) The Food and Drug Administration recommends that we cap our sugar intake at 12.5 teaspoons a day (that’s about one can of soda.)
Foods that are good for your teeth are calcium-rich (such as dairy, leafy greens, and almonds), protein-rich (like meat, seafood, eggs), and water-rich (vegetables and fruits.) These kinds of foods provide healthy minerals that contribute to building tooth enamel, cleaning teeth of plaque and bacteria, and increase saliva to wash away particulates.
Visit Your Dentist Before There’s A Problem
In addition to increasing your knowledge of proper nutrition and practicing healthy oral hygiene, which can both be done “in-house,” so to speak, your family dentist can also lend a hand.
Your dentist doesn’t just exist to save you when you have a toothache or other any other dental conundrum. Your dentist – much like a family doctor – is there to help and guide you on the best dental practices to maintain the health of your teeth for life. They provide a number of preventative services that can preserve both the health of your mouth and your bank account balance.
Spend A Little, Save A Lot
Spend a little money now to save a lot of money down the road. According to the American Dental Association, the cost of restorative dental procedures can cost up to ten times more than investing in some standard preventative dental services.
Consider some of these examples: the national average cost of an annual cleaning is around $60 for a child and $80 for an adult, along with a roughly $50 examination fee. The amount of money you’ll save by making sure you and everyone in your family get their annual dental checkup is well worth it; especially when you consider that the average cost of a root canal is close to $1,000 (and that’s excluding the finishing touches of a crown!)
Give Fluoride Some Love
One of the most effective safeguards against cavities is a fluoride application. Fluoride is a cavity-preventing mineral that the dentist can apply to your teeth in just a few pain-free minutes, and comes in the form of gels, solutions, and varnishes. Its use can reduce dental decay by as much as 40% in some cases, and is a great option especially for those more prone to cavities.
These are some of the more practical and efficient methods of preventing tooth decay and keeping your dental appointments to a minimum. If you’d like more information on maintaining oral hygiene, or would like to schedule an appointment for some preventative maintenance, you can always contact us here
Just One More
Before we go, we’d like to add just one more tip; and this is probably the most important one here: drink more water. Water washes away food particles, acids, and sugars that acidify and promote tooth decay. Water keeps you hydrated and increases the saliva content in your mouth, which is the front-line warrior in the battle against cavities. And best of all, water is calorie-free! (Can you say win-win-win?)
