While most Americans have medical health insurance, many plans don’t include dental coverage. Whether it’s not available, or people are simply trying to minimize insurance costs, approximately 74 million people don’t have dental insurance. While some investment websites and financial gurus say you may not need it, our Cary dentist is sharing exactly why you need dental insurance.
More Likely to Get Preventative Care
People who have dental health coverage are more likely to go to receive their bi-annual checkups and teeth cleaning. These checkups and cleanings are key to overall good dental health. While brushing twice a day and flossing are important steps at home, getting routine preventative care minimizes the risk of serious dental problems in the future.
For example, if you go to the dentist for a checkup and they catch a small cavity on an x-ray, they can quickly and easily fill it. If left untreated, the cavity will grow, and it doesn’t take long before a small cavity turns into a serious issue like a broken tooth or an abscess. This also applies for issues like teeth grinding, gingivitis, and other issues that can be treated with ease when caught early.
Minimizes Health Care Costs
While the cost of dental insurance may seem high or you feel you don’t get your money’s worth out of it, consider that having dental insurance can drastically reduce health care costs. Many plans offer a “100/80/50” plan which is:
- 100 percent of preventative care, including cleanings and checkups
- 80 percent of basic procedures, such as fillings and root canals
- 50 percent of more intensive or major procedures such as having a crown or bridge placed.
Not only will this save you a significant amount of out of pocket costs, but as we mentioned above, taking advantage of the preventative care means you’re less likely to require the more intensive procedures that have higher out of pocket costs.
Improves Overall Health
Did you know 90 percent of systemic diseases like heart disease, diabetes, and osteoporosis have symptoms that present through your dental health? Your dentist notes issues with your gums, teeth, or even your breath and can use that information to review your overall health and guide you to make an appointment with your physician if they see a concern.
Additionally, when you have healthy teeth and gums, your overall health is likely to be better. Having gum disease, abscessed teeth, and other dental issues can actually increase your risk of cancer and heart disease by increasing inflammation in your body which can lead to damage at a cellular level.
Provides Peace of Mind
Having insurance offers peace of mind. It means you can get the care you need, when you need it, without having to sacrifice something in your life to pay for it. Whether it’s a cleaning every six months or getting a toothache looked at when it happens, having a comprehensive dental insurance plan means you don’t have to stress about care.
HSAs and FSAs for Dental Care
It’s important to note that if you have a flex savings or health savings account through your existing coverage, you can use that money to help cover the cost of dental care if you currently don’t have insurance or you run into additional costs that aren’t covered. Reach out to your insurance company to determine exactly what is covered, but typically, checkups and necessary care like fillings and root canals are covered, whereas cosmetic dentistry like teeth whitening, is not.
Schedule a Dental Appointment in Holly Springs
If you are looking for a dentist in Cary or Holly Springs, we can help. We take a wide variety of insurance plans and are currently accepting new patients. Reach us at our Holly Springs dentist office at (919)-600-6262 and our Cary dentist office at (919) 467-2203. You can also fill out our contact form to schedule an appointment.