Choices

For most people, their teeth are one of many different choices a person makes when deciding what they wish to enjoy.  There are many other options a person can choose to spend their time or money on, such as fancy cell phones, big screen TV’s with surround sound, nice cars, jewelry, or computers...just to name a few.  Were you aware that in the USA one third of adult Americans over 65 have chosen to have NO teeth, and 2/3 have chosen to have 10 teeth or less?  With statistics like that in the wealthiest nation on earth with the most advanced dental care, why do you think this is the case?  While the majority of us have the financial means to make the choices above, it’s true that there is a small indigent population that has to choose sustenance over oral health and therefore doesn’t have much of a choice.   That being said, we also know that 80% of Americans are not indigent....which means a LOT of people are ignoring their oral health.

Is a lack of dental insurance the problem?  There’s no insurance to purchase big screen TV’s, stereo systems, computers, and nice clothes, but yet people find the money to buy these things anyway.  When you take into consideration that a check up costs about the same as what the average lady spends on getting her hair done (even without “hair insurance”), this argument loses even more steam.  In fact, more money is spent annually in the United States on dog food than is spent on dentistry?  Do you think that some people just value other things more than their teeth?

The solution is NOT dental insurance.  Depending on the plan up to sixty cents on the dollar goes to administrate dental insurance and forty cents on the dollar goes to pay for actual dental care.  Insurance companies are not here to help the patient; their primary objective is to provide a return on investment to their shareholders. 

Since about 90% of all dental disease is preventable, the real problems are:

1.  An insufficient amount of value placed on oral health versus other things.
2.  Inadequate home care
3.  Poor diet choices (too many sweet &/or acidic foods, beverages, and snacks,
4.  Infrequent check-ups/preventative care

It’s not just about your saving your teeth and gums

More and more evidence is being found concerning the systemic link between gum disease and the health of your heart.  In fact, gum disease has been linked to heart attacks, strokes, respiratory diseases, diabetes, and pancreatic cancer, just to name a few. 

So what can I do?

Elevate the value you place on your oral health by brushing AND flossing daily, minimize the intake of sodas, energy drinks, & sugary snacks, and most of all, visit your dentist regularly for proper preventative care.  Prevention is not expensive, but neglect can be!