If you have been avoiding the dentist, you join more than 30 percent of insured Americans who do not visit the dentist regularly for dental cleanings and checkups. While 44 percent of people do not visit the dentist regularly due to the cost of care, maximizing the value of your dental insurance allows you to affordably protect your oral health. However, most people underestimate the importance of visiting the dentist twice a year, which is one reason only 83 percent of children 2 to 17 years of age visited the dentist in 2014. That number was far lower with adults as only 62 percent of adults visited the dentist. As your dentist in Burlington, we encourage you to use your dental insurance before the end of the year to protect your oral health.
Benefits of Dental Insurance
As with medical care, lack of dental insurance can make the cost of care too high for the average family. As a result, they skip out on regular appointments, only visiting the dentist after a problem has arisen. However, by doing so you actually drive up the cost of treatments. Conditions that were preventable or could have easily have been treated while the problem was small will now require a more costly and invasive treatment. However, you can avoid this by maximizing your dental insurance policy.
Different dental policies offer different coverage plans. However, on average, most dental insurance plans cover almost all of the costs for preventive care, which includes regular dental cleanings and checkups. In addition, many insurance policies cover the vast majority of the expenses needed for preventive treatments, such as dental sealants and fluoride treatments. If a problem should develop that requires care, your insurance can cover as much as 80 percent of the cost.
Importance of Visiting Your Dentist Regularly
Just as brushing and flossing are important aspects to preventive care, so is visiting the dentist twice a year. During routine checkups, we evaluate the current state of your oral health to look for any areas that have the potential to cause a problem in the future. This allows us to provide the appropriate intervention to stop damage before it even starts. In addition, we are also able to detect areas of damage while they are still small, allowing for an easy, less costly treatment. For example, it is easier and less expensive to treat a small cavity with a filling than it is to perform a root canal should the cavity have remained untreated.
In addition, we properly clean the teeth to prevent tooth decay and gum disease. It is estimated, 75 percent of adult Americans suffer from a form of gum disease, which is preventable with regular dental cleanings. We will properly clean the teeth to prevent the development of gum disease to help protect your smile.
Make the Most of Dental Insurance
At Complete Dental Care, we understand dental services can be expensive. Do not let the fear of the cost keep you from visiting the dentist. Benefit from affordable care with your dental insurance plan. Contact our office today to schedule an appointment.
