By Kevin RR Williams
Reduce High Cost of Dental Visits
Like every other industry, dental offices are striving to stay in business by raising prices. Filling one cavity can cost hundreds of dollars without insurance. Straightening teeth costs thousands. When you receive a high quote as a cash customer, remember that you have four options:
- Pay the full fee
- Finance the amount
- Request a discount
- Shop for lower price
Whether you are a single individual or have a family, consider adding dentistry insurance to your health plan.
Importance of Dental Appointment
During the pandemic shutdown, many patients fell behind on their dental care. Without pointing fingers, it’s time for you to resume your treatments. Some people have an aversion to dentists. The needles, drilling, or scraping beneath the gum line are uncomfortable.
There are various things that dental care professionals can do to lessen pain. Some do not involve needles. Topical novocain dulls an area, but not as much as novocain injections. During some procedures, it’s possible to administer medication that keeps you awake but eliminates your recollection of the treatment. It is less expensive than anesthesia, but more expensive than novocain injections.
Why Brushing is Not Enough
According to the National Institutes of Health, nearly 700 different species of microorganisms live in your mouth. This includes bacteria and fungus on your teeth, tongue, and the pockets between your teeth and gums. While thriving off of each other, several different types of microbes work together to make harmful acid.
Streptococcus mutans is the most common bacteria thriving on tooth surfaces and difficult-to-clean areas. It’s not merely an annoying film you feel when running your tongue against your teeth. It’s a living, growing microorganism, like algae in a swimming pool or fish tank. However, this bacteria can be transparent to the naked eye. It multiplies, forms hardened plaque, and erodes enamel.
Plaque forms on your teeth is similar to plaque that builds up in your arteries, called atherosclerosis. The latter causes heart disease. Without a direct correlation, people with periodontal disease, like gingivitis, have two to three times the risk of having a heart attack, stroke, or other serious cardiovascular event. This may relate to systemic inflammation.
People with psoriasis are more likely to have decaying or missing teeth compared with those without psoriasis. The correlation is acid. The formation of a visible stone, such as a dental calculus, may be an indicator of other types of stones, like kidney stones.
Since the microbes we battle daily feed on residual sugars and form acids, drinking or rinsing with water after each meal dilutes them. So there’s a reason restaurant servers place a glass of water on the table. Daily brushing (at least twice), flossing, and tongue scraping are great ways to minimize dental issues.
A dentist or hygienist will examine your teeth, clean them, and detect warning signs of oral health issues, such as gum disease, cavities, and oral cancer. Professional dentistry cleaning twice a year can prevent calcification and plaque buildup. Excessive bacteria below the gum line may get into the bloodstream. This might adversely affect your complexion and internal organs.
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