What’s the real cost of dental care? While financial cost is often the biggest influence when making a decision about dental care, it’s not the only cost to consider.
There is a common misconception that if an insurance carrier doesn’t cover a service or a treatment, in the patients’ mind, that means the procedure isn’t needed or worth doing. Dental care becomes a matter of dollars and cents rather than a matter of oral health and overall health.
Yes, all dental care comes at a cost, but it’s not just financial. To understand the real cost of dental care, it’s important to consider overall health, function, and long term impact as well as the financial cost.
The choice for the patient is: What price will you pay now and what price will you pay later?
Pay Now vs Pay Later:
- Quick fixes that fit the budget now, and will require replacement or maintenance later
- Re-doing procedures that were not done correctly
- Letting easily treatable things like a small cavity, turn into an infection, or gum disease
- Letting things go so far that quick fixes, and in some cases, any treatment is no longer an option, resulting in chronic or debilitating health issues and/or lack of function (chewing, biting, smiling, yawning)
The real cost of dental care isn’t just about money. It’s about your health, comfort, and long term ability to talk, chew, swallow and smile confidently.
If you are in a position to decide on dental treatment, be it preventative or restorative, here is some additional information to consider.
Is Your Insurance Influencing Decisions About Your Health?
No one likes unexpected dental costs. No one. Leveraging dental benefits can be a big help when it comes to dental health care. But what if a particular service isn’t covered?
How to Get the Dental Care You Need
Getting a proper diagnosis starts with using the right diagnostic tools to determine what type of treatment you need. An example of an effective diagnostic tool is the digital X-ray. It helps the dentist see what’s happening beneath the gums and teeth to ensure there isn’t an infection or an existing condition to be aware of.
Skipping a diagnostic procedure like an X-ray, (perhaps because it isn’t covered by insurance) increases the risk of misdiagnosis and improper treatment. The potential scenario for the patient is a bigger problem than they initially started with and/or having to pay again to fix the issue properly. We see this happen often. Click here to read stories from our patients.
The Real Cost of Dental Care
The financial cost is often at the forefront of dental care decisions. But it’s worth thinking about the other costs like your health (short term and long term), overall wellbeing, and function.
The best course of action for your health may not be covered on your insurance plan.
In addition, there are many times when a more expensive treatment lasts way longer than the cheaper option. This not only saves you money in the long-run, but it also saves you from having multiple procedures done on the same tooth over a span of time. Most porcelain restorations last decades, for example, when compared to fillings which may need to be replaced several times in that same lifespan.
We believe a proactive and preventative approach is best. If you have questions about your specific situation call 905-338-6684 or fill out the form below to get in touch with Oakville dentist Dr. Agatha Bis.
Dr. Agatha Bis Dentistry is located in Oakville Ontario and helps patients from Oakville, Burlington, Hamilton, Mississauga and Toronto with their holistic and cosmetic dental needs.