One of the reasons why people avoid visiting the dentist is that the cost can be prohibitive. Therefore, it is very important to understand the reasons why dental treatment could be costly and see ways to avoid this.
With regular checkups, your dental health is monitored, and problems can be diagnosed earlier and dealt with more simply.
Firstly, dental visits can be expensive if you do not go for regular dental checkups and screening.
Many patients will ignore a simple niggle in the mouth and wait for it to get worse. Very often, the longer you wait, the more complex the treatment is, and this can result in your dental bill being much higher.
So, to avoid this, it’s much better to be regular with checkups so your dental health is monitored, and problems can be diagnosed earlier and dealt with more simply. Should you feel something is not right in the mouth, book in earlier rather than waiting for it to get worse.
Secondly, in some cases your dentist will advise you to see a specialist, and this can have an impact on the price of treatment.
In dentistry, there are many areas of specialities, such as Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (specialist that deal with surgery in the head and neck area), periodontists (specialists who focus on the gums around teeth in the mouth) and many more. If you are advised to see a specialist by your dentist, it is so that you are given specialised care for a problem to allow for optimal results and satisfaction in the outcome for you and the dentist.
Often an analogy I use is that, if your child is doing an A-level exam in English, and needs tuition, you wouldn’t get a general tutor or a Maths tutor. You would ask for help from an English tutor. In the same way, using a specialist, though it may be more costly, will increase the success and outcome of treatments in the long run.
Last but not least, increased costs are involved in aesthetic and cosmetic cases.
This is where people’s smiles are redesigned. Especially with the current trend of video calls, many people have become aware of their teeth - the colour, position and shape, and would like to have this improved.
Often, doing these kinds of treatments, whether it’s straightening teeth or doing veneers and crowns to improve the smile, can result in an increased fee. These cases are often supported by an external laboratory who will work with the dentist and assess the case, assess different factors, and ensure the perfect smile for you with the correct materials and finish. This will ensure an amazing result and longevity but will have a cost implication.
See Also
6 important things dentists check during routine visits
Key takeaway message
So, I hope this demystifies why dentistry can be expensive. My key take home message would be that please maintain regular checkups. Don’t wait for any problem to get worse and make sure you see a dentist that you trust and have a good rapport with. That way you know they have your best interests at heart. Also, there is never any harm in asking what payment options the clinic provides.
