Dental costs are more of a concern now than ever before. Here in the United States we are granted some of the finest dental care in the civilized world. It remains superb even at a time when other medical services are coming to be seen as failed systems.
For many world travellers one of the immediate signs of being in the U.S. is the array of fine, unblemished smiles. Even in Europe and Great Britain the presence of crooked, discolored teeth is high. As a result, though, people in the U.S. do notice poor dental care: they are used to the best, expect the best, and are disturbed by less than the best.
In an environment where dental costs seem to be spiralling up and up with no end in sight and less and less return for the average patient, there are few obvious remedies. A personal savings plan to prepare for dental expenses is one appropriate response, if you are fairly certain you will not need any non-standard procedures. Otherwise some form of dental insurance plan has not just become a necessity, but a hidden bargain.
While even standard preventive care for a family can easily run into thousands of dollars a year, assuming visits and cleaning at as much as sixty dollars per visit and more expensive work at an even higher price, the cost of an average dental insurance program often runs under three hundred a year.
If you are like many of us in the United States during these hard times, even that can cause a short, sharp intake of breath. Finding the money to cover dental insurance can be a serious problem. Is dental insurance worth the investment? Absolutely. The health of your teeth and mouth underlie many health issues; more than many people realize.
Dentists, no less than any other businessmen in the United States, can’t afford to give more than a small fraction of their work away below true cost. Therefore you, as the customer, must prepare for your future, with wise choices, good planning, and either savings, insurance or a discount dental plan. The future of your smile depends on it.
