Why You Should Be Seeing The Dentist More Than Once A Year

The ADA – American Dental Association recommends visiting the dentist at least once every six months. Most Americans ignore this advice. It’s no wonder why really, dentist visits are expensive, painful, and time-consuming. 

Still, if we could all make that trip to the dentist a little more often, everyone would be better off. In fact, we could save billions of dollars every year on unnecessary root canals and other invasive procedures. 

Don’t believe me? Well, let me try and convince you. After reading this article, I’m sure you’ll be thinking twice about skipping the dentist this year. 

Reduce Long Term Dental Care Costs

The first reason you should be going to the dentist more than once a year is because it can significantly reduce your long term dental care costs. 

You see, symptoms of dental problems aren’t always recognizable. There’s a common myth out there: no pain, no problem. Unfortunately, this couldn’t be further from the truth. The reality is if you’re feeling pain, it’s most likely already too late for a regular filing. You will seemingly need a root canal or even worse. 

That’s not good news Considering, on average, a root canal costs around $1000 vs. an average regular filling cost of just $150, according to a recent CostHelper report entitled, “How Much Does a Root Canal Cost?“. According to the AAE (American Association of Endodontists) more than 15 million root canals are executed every year in the U.S. This country could save billions each year by simply visiting the dentist more often. 

Dental preventative care can help prevent plaque, gum disease, and cavities from leading to costly dental procedures like crowns, teeth replacement, and eventually even dentures. 

In fact 120 million are missing at least one tooth and 36 million U.S people do not have any teeth. The last thing you want to see at your dental visit is your dentist calling a dental laboratory because you need some new hardware to replace your chompers. Trust me, that’s when things get really expensive, especially if you don’t have insurance. 

So this year, save some money and head to the dentist already!

You Have Dental Risk Factors

There are a number of dental risk factors that can make visiting the dentist more than once a year simply not a viable option. 

The fact is if you are a smoker, if you have diabetes or if you have one of the interleukin-1 genetic variations, then you need to be scheduling at least three visits a year to the dentist to help prevent periodontal disease. 

Periodontal disease is no joke. It affects over three million people in the U.S and causes swollen, red and receding gums, tooth sensitivity, painful chewing, and can eventually lead to tooth decay and loss. Why suffer through all that instead of a few 15-minute visits to the dentist each year?

Reduce Your Oral Cancer Risk

Perhaps the number one reason to visit the dentist a little more often, however, is oral cancer. 

According to the National Cancer Institute. Every hour of everyday one American is dies with oral cancer. Even worse, only 50% of oral cancer patients survive five years after their diagnosis, making it one of the more dangerous types of cancer out there. 

Regular dental checkups can help you catch oral cancer early and begin treatment as soon as possible. That alone is well worth the extra time and stress of another visit to the dentist, right? 

So, if the expense factor doesn’t convince you to face your fears and make that dentist appointment, maybe the risk of oral cancer might.

I know, often dental health professionals can be aggressive when it comes to the scheduling of appointments, but they aren’t trying to rip you off, they’re trying to save you money, or even your life. So in 2020, face your fears and head to the dentist, it’s well worth it for the peace of mind you’ll get in return, trust me.