Your Dentist Discusses the Short and Long Term Cost of Dental Care

Dental care has the reputation of being expensive. In fact, many people avoid the dentist entirely, thinking they cannot afford it, especially if they don’t have dental insurance. I’d like to encourage you to take a different view today. You see, the simple fact is that dental problems are not like some other health issues. If you have a cold or a torn muscle, the body can heal itself very effectively. You just need to give it time. But dental issues do not go away. They do not self-correct. They only get worse. So, you may feel it’s your best choice to forego much needed dental work or even preventative work because of the cost. However, in the long run you end up spending way more because the issue didn’t get dealt with so it becomes worse and now the cost to fix it is even higher.

It is important to me to get my patients the care they need. So when they come see me and find out they require treatment they will ask, “How much will it cost?” I compare it to buying a car. If you want a Mercedes, you have certain options. If a Ford is more in your budget, you have certain options there too. Either way you’ll have a car in the end! We work with your budget.

Even after telling people we work within their budgets, they still have fear of price with or without insurance. I  think people often don’t realize that prevention can save them more money than insurance can. Even if you have no insurance, it would be better to fork out the $150 now rather than paying $3000 a few years later - better for your wallet and better for your teeth!

It is so important to acknowledge that dental problems get worse over time and therefore cost more the longer you wait. Look at the big picture, the long term.  Where do you want to be in two years? Do you want to be scraping together thousands of dollars for an emergency treatment? Surely you have things that you would rather do with your money than pay for treatment that you could have taken care of earlier at a fraction of the cost.

Going back to our car analogy, consider car maintenance. A dental cleaning is only an oil change. It’s $40 for an oil change. But if you don’t get your engine checked and it dies on you... it’s $6000 for a new engine. Suppose I detect a problem during the cleaning and you end up paying additional funds for a surface filling OR you say, “No, that’s too much. I’ll be fine, just do the cleaning.” Then, two years later you are in need of a crown which runs around $3500. Which option are you going to choose?

I feel compelled to let people know that we understand finances are tight. We want to work with you now so you can save yourself from further and more expensive hassle down the road. I encourage you to think about the long term care you are giving yourself and how it will influence the rest of your life! I encourage people to challenge what they believe about insurance - that without it they are helpless. Finally, I ask you to talk to me directly. Together we can create a long-term plan that will restore your smile, change the course of your health, and work with your budget. Call us today: 651-429-3348. http://www.lakeshorefamilydentist.com/services.html