18Sep

Imagine this: a homeowner, to save a few dollars, decides the roof shouldn’t be repaired, the broken windows replaced, the leaky pipes fixed. Think that’s the best way to protect such a valuable asset? Of course not.

Yet many people put off caring for the most important asset they have – their health – because of economic reasons. Penny wise and pound foolish, wouldn’t you agree?

When it comes to payment for treatment, your dentist’s office is committed to helping you comfortably manage your treatment and dental costs through a variety of options.

Their first concern is – always – the state of your oral health. They start by evaluating your current and future needs, and then creating an individualized treatment plan. You may be given a detailed description of their recommendations, plus an estimate of the dental fees that may be incurred.

If you’re covered by dental insurance, they will map a plan to achieve the most benefits possible from your carrier. For instance, they may plan to have treatment spread over two “insurance years” to take full advantage of your available benefit dollars.

While you are always responsible for your total obligation (even if insurance benefits result in less coverage than anticipated), your dental office is available to work on an individual basis to develop a dental financing program that makes sense.

Remember that your adult teeth are the last natural set you will ever have. Economics should not stand in the way of preserving and protecting them.

18Sep

Most everyone is feeling the economic pinch in some way or another. We can’t pretend the picture is particularly rosy.

On the other hand, we’ve all heard the term “false economy.” In difficult financial times, some people put off the dental care they need and wait for things to “get better.” When it comes to dentistry, that’s false economy.

We know budgets go through ups and downs. We also believe that catching small dental problems before they grow will, in the long run, save dental costs. A lot of expensive damage can happen over time.

Say you miss a regular cleaning. You’re inviting gum problems like gingivitis, which multiply painlessly, to set in. Old fillings can crack or leak – decay may invade the tooth beneath the filling. Inattention to broken restorations eventually means a crown, certainly the more costly alternative to early repair.

Don’t put off dentistry. Don’t sacrifice your family’s health for economy’s sake. When it comes to your mouth, in most cases, a small problem only gets bigger – and more expensive. Preventive care is money in the bank.

Your dentist would like you to share your concerns with his or her financial coordinator. They’ll do their part by helping you keep healthy with dental financing. For patients who qualify, they probably can arrange a personal dental loan plan for your care. They’re there with options. And they believe good dentistry is good economy.

18Sep

Most of us think that taking care of our teeth is about having a great smile and avoiding the discomfort of a toothache. Although these are valid and important reasons for maintaining a good oral health program, there are three other equally strong reasons to consider.

First of all, dental health is part of your overall health. Second, choosing dental health is a wise investment of your time and dental financing resources. Third, your emotional well-being is influenced by how you think and feel about yourself. Your smile is a big part of your image of yourself. Let’s examine each of these areas more thoroughly.

Your Physical Health

How easy it is to forget that our teeth, gums, and mouth are essential parts of our physical body. Periodontal disease, bone and gum loss, and infections all affect the overall picture of our physical health. The ability to chew our food well helps digestion and reduces stress on the gastrointestinal system.

Like any physical system, each part of the body plays a role in the overall health of the system; taking care of your teeth and gums is a part of an intentional plan for physical health. In collaboration with your dental team, you can create a plan for your dental health that will contribute to your overall health plan.

A Wise Investment

There are two important resources that you use and allocate in your everyday life: your time and your money. When it comes to your dental care, they are closely related. The time you take everyday to invest in your dental health is also an investment in your financial health. When treatment is necessary, the dental financing is also an investment in your financial future.

Proper treatment today prevents more costly complications and uncomfortable problems tomorrow. For those who seek to maintain their dental health for life, it is a wise investment to get the most value from the knowledge and skills your dentist and the new dentistry offers you.

Emotional Well-Being

How you feel and think about yourself is an important part of your emotional well-being and a pleasant smile plays a big role in this. In addition, when you
take an active role in caring for yourself, it also contributes to your overall sense of competence in managing your life and maintaining a positive lifestyle. The habit of dental self-care and regular dental hygiene examinations reinforces taking positive steps for yourself in other areas of your life.

The new dentistry also can provide you with innovative and effective ways to create and maintain a pleasant smile that you feel good about. When it comes to feeling good about yourself and your smile, the new dentistry offers many exciting and effective options.

By Brian DesRoches, PhD

18Sep

Whoever warned against being “penny wise and pound foolish” must have been thinking of times like these. When the economy is just limping along (and dollars are tight at home) it’s natural to look for ways to cut down on unnecessary expenses. Too often, cutting back on today’s unnecessary expense leads to far greater costs just a ways down the road. And that’s especially true of dental care.

Of course, your dental practitioner recognizes that every household economy goes through its own ups and downs. But they also believe that maintaining a high level of health is the cheapest form of insurance. So they’ll work with you to get the dental care you need, and information on dental financing – when you need it.

When you wait too long, a lot can happen.

  • Gum problems don’t hurt at first, so you may not even know you have disease lurking. And periodontitis can flare up despite conscientious home hygiene.
  • Old fillings can leak at the margins where filling and tooth meet, inviting decay under a filling. If you let it go, it’s crown time.
  • A fractured tooth is often invisible and may require a root canal to save it. Waiting for it to heal usually results in dental bridges.
  • If you’re missing a tooth, your neighboring teeth will grow disrupted and loose.
  • Topical fluorides and sealants are a good idea for children – even adults.
  • Early orthodontics can save you a bundle later on.

Another wise philosopher pointed out, “There’s a time in the life of every problem when it’s large enough to see…and small enough to solve.” It might be a good idea to look into dental financing. By catching dental problems before they grow, you’ll be spared both money and discomfort in the long run.

18Sep

How would you feel if your smile was a bit brighter than it is right now? White teeth not only look sensational, but they build the kind of inner confidence that really gives a smile its electricity. You might be surprised at what simple, affordable professional teeth whitening, teeth bleaching and other cosmetic treatments can offer to do just that and which are available today.

You may have seen advertising for tooth whitening toothpastes. However, the results of those teeth whiteners can’t match the results we can give to you with our professional teeth whitening. Our tooth whitener effectively lightens brown and yellow enamel discoloration. We use a special gel inside a custom-made tray that covers your teeth.

18Sep

Tooth bleaching is a way to lighten teeth without bonding material to the teeth, or removing any sound tooth structure. In this respect, it’s one of the most conservative cosmetic procedures. It’s an “old” procedure, back in vogue.

How does professional tooth whitening work?

First, the tooth is isolated with a rubber dam. This protects your gums and tongue, too. Then the tooth is cleaned thoroughly. Your tooth may or may not be pre-conditioned to help the teeth whitening products penetrate.

The tooth is covered with gauze, and the teeth bleaching solution is carefully applied. A heat source “cures” the bleach and hastens the process. These steps are repeated several times, depending on the appropriate level of whiteness you want to achieve. The color of adjacent teeth will be considered too, so you’ll look natural (there is such a thing as too white).

A professional tooth whitening session takes 30 to 45 minutes – and there you are. After three to five sessions, the tooth really shows the difference.

Does professional tooth bleaching work for everyone?

The success of the procedure depends in part on what caused the tooth staining in the first place. Surface coffee, tea, and tobacco stains that resist cleaning can be bleached away (the stains will reappear over time if you continue to indulge, of course). Antibiotic staining – from tetracycline, for example – is a bit harder to treat with simple teeth bleaching. Alternatively, a jacket or porcelain veneers may be called for. The idea is to be very selective about which tooth is a good candidate for the procedure.