If you’d been born 100 years ago, you would have had a 50% chance of ending up toothless by the time you reached adult age. Now, thanks to advances in dental care and technology, less than one in every ten adults over the age of 65 has lost teeth. That’s a major victory for science and dental health awareness.
However, many people are still reluctant to visit the dentist for their general care. Ironically, according to recent study by the CDC, over 30% of adults (ages 18-64) who have an annual income at least three times the poverty line claim to have not been to the dentist in the past six months, even though they admitted to having a tooth problem during that period. Over 31% of adults with at least a four-year degree were nearly twice as likely to skip their regular dental appointments, deeming them “unimportant”.
Clearly cost isn’t the only factor. Are these folks relying on cosmetic dental surgery to save them years down the line after their original teeth have been ruined due to neglect? Some dentists prefer to present the problem in terms that successful, wealthy executives can understand — cost-benefit analysis.
Preventative care can save a patient thousands and thousands of dollars in future cosmetic dental surgery costs, not to mention saving them years of inconvenience, pain, and dental sensitivity. Patients asking about cosmetic dentistry costs down the line should also take into account the rising costs of various procedures, and realize that the price they’ve been quoted today may very well be much higher tomorrow, and the next day, and the next.
Some cosmetic procedures, like teeth whitening procedures, can be done as a regimen of regular cosmetic care, much as your periodic checkups and cleanings. But in order to avoid the necessity of drastic care in future years, the cleanings and exams must be a priority. More on this topic: www.salemdentist.com
