Your Oral Health During COVID-19

Posted On February 27, 2021

Your Teeth Won’t Clean Themselves.

What a lot of people have done in 2020 and into 2021 is forget about their teeth. You can’t blame them–the hassle involved in any small errand these days is massive. But not caring for your teeth is a terrible idea. This isn’t about compelling you, it’s just common sense. For example, there’s a link between heart disease and gum health.

Though in 2021 dentists won’t prioritize services quite the same as they did, that doesn’t mean you can’t get help. It just means prior any invasive or intensive oral procedures, dentists may first prescribe you a special toothpaste and a therapy plan, then get the work done after observing how your mouth reacts to that.

By being bold enough to pursue dental care in 2021, you may be able to actually save money over the same dentist and the same oral issues explored prior the pandemic This isn’t to compel you into visiting the dentist, it’s exposition of a silver lining. Before, dentistry was a bit more of a patient-optional medical option.

A person can live their whole life missing teeth. Prior to 2020’s crisis, dentists would be quicker to recommend extensive treatments. Such treatments are good for a person who needs them; they’re just a bit expensive, so a lot of people opt out. The thing is, sometimes those recommendations weren’t the only option. Today’s environment means you may well get more fair treatment.

Still; Shop Around A Bit–Don’t Just Pick The Nearest Dentist

Sales copy will generally point out a few things and demand you pick a specific dentist. That’s not a good idea. Because dentistry is expensive for practitioners and patients, if you need work done and just throw a digital dart at a Google map, you’ll probably spend more than you have to.

For one thing, regional dentists differ in cost. Get work done in Orange County, California, and it will likely cost you a few hundred (or thousand) dollars more than some place in Wyoming.

That said, dental insurance plans can cover a lot of that expense; but dentistry has a level of salesmanship, meaning there will be price variables that could increase what you ultimately pay for your visit, if incrementally.

First, assure whatever dentists or orthodontists you’re considering are covered under whatever insurance you’ve secured. Then, go online, read reviews, call around, and figure out what associated expenses are. Generally, there’s a cost to be examined. Some insurance plans will pick that up, some won’t–so do your homework beforehand.

Find A Representative Dental Plan

Just as not all dentists operate along the same lines, not all insurance packages do either. You need to know what deductible rates and coverage costs are. On the following website, there are enough choices that it’s easy to get an affordable dental plan. That said, it’s important to verify dentistry solutions of such plans are in-network.

Even so, sites like this can be absolutely fundamental in helping you save at the dentist’s office. Just be sure you know what you’re “on the hook for”, as it were. Sometimes your cost responsibility is so high, and the insurance coverage so low, you might as well just shop around for a better provider than get insurance in the first place.

Generally, that won’t be the case, but it’s possible. So be careful to understand what your options are as regards insurance and dentists so you can find the best possible balance between the two.

Maintain Your Teeth

This is a bit straightforward, but it’s worth considering. The best way to save money at the dentist is to keep them from having anything to work on. If you take an off-road vehicle into mud and ditches all day, you’ll have more problems requiring a mechanic. The same is true if you only eat acidic and sugary things, then never brush or floss. But if you maintain your teeth well, you may seldom if ever even need a dentist.

Do yourself a favor. Brush your teeth at least once a day; three times is better—be gentle, use soft bristles; this keeps enamel from eroding and gums from retreating. Floss too, and check in with a dentist for general cleaning at least once if not twice a year—regularly scheduled cleanings will, as a bonus, often be covered in your dental plan.

Cost-Effective Dental Care Despite The Health Panic

During COVID-19, dentists are functioning mostly as they did, though they’ll be more cautious to do invasive procedures. Accordingly, maintaining teeth, shopping around for dentists in your area (or even out-of-state, if local costs are too high), and getting the right insurance represent the best ways you can save money at the dentist despite the global crisis.

Now a salesy article, that’s going to tell you to choose dentist X specifically under insurance Y. That’s not the point here. The point here is, the crisis today has changed the game, and that means you’ve got to be even more intentional about choosing the right option.

If you shop around and maintain your teeth, you may not even need a dentist–but it’s wiser to have something and not need it, than need it and not have it. At a minimum, get checked out once a year to assure there aren’t any deep issues. You can do that without insurance, and it comes out of your own pocket.

Do it with insurance, and you pay in every month, but the teeth cleaning costs are waived. Here’s an idea: get insurance on a month-to-month plan that’s cheaper than a cleaning, get the free cleaning, then cancel your insurance. You may only save a little, but you can save. Whatever works, do that.