Let’s face it, hard times bite – no pun intended. For almost a year now, the economy has slowed, job losses are at an all-time high, and more and more people are going into survival mode. Nearly everyone is struggling during these tough times – or at least altering their lifestyles somewhat – and that includes dentists.
You might be wondering why dentists are struggling, especially since people need dental care whether the economy stinks or not. The reason – people tend to forgo dental care in favor of medical care.
“Dental care takes a back seat to medical care,” said Peter Morita, associate dean for patient services at the Oregon Health & Science University School of Dentistry. “It’s one of the first things that, in bad times, people cut back on or go without(oregonlive.com).”
This is a clear sign that people tend to view dental care as relatively unimportant when compared to medical care. In light of recent findings that link dental health to overall health, this is a certainly not a valid argument.
However, experts say there is another reason many people are skipping the dentist during these tough times – they’re losing their dental benefits. When companies tighten their belts, dental care benefits are often the first to go.
Reductions in benefits often come in lower dollar caps on coverage or higher deductibles. Some plans also are tightening coverage limits from one dental crown every five years to one every 10 years, or increasing the copay on a root canal from 20 percent to 50 percent. The result is more people without dental insurance, so they go to the dentist less,” Shirtcliff said(oregonlive.com).”
Naturally, the less people visit the dentist the more dental problems will pile up. This, of course, leads to great costs down the road.
Our recommendation, if you do not currently have dental benefits or have lost your dental benefits is to consider a discount dental plan. For as low as $79.95 per year, you can save 10%-60% on most dental care procedures. More importantly, you can receive the invaluable preventative care you need not only for a healthy mouth, but for your overall health as well.
Visit our main site, DentalPlanCards.com to learn more about the money-saving benefits of a discount dental plan.
This article has One response
Thank you for sharing your article, it is great. Fortunately, I have very good teeth, everyone asked me a good way to keep teeth, my suggestion is to see a dentist on a regular basis.