It seems like everyone’s worried about health care costs these days. Unfortunately, the first place people try to save money on medical costs is in their mouths, putting off dentist appointments for years at a time. But this is a bad idea for both your health and wallet.
A 2007 study in the Journal of Periodontology found that patients with severe periodontal disease-including gum detachment and bone loss-had 21% higher health care costs than those with no periodontal disease.
And those costs didn’t apply to dentistry alone; they included head-to-toe health expenses, most likely because periodontal disease is linked with other serious health conditions.
Cosmetic dentistry as a means of covering up signs of poor dental health is also an expensive option. Although the results may be easier to enjoy than other medical procedures, insurance will not cover procedures like veneers and whitening, costing you hundreds or thousands of dollars. Furthermore, cosmetic procedures may not last as long in an unhealthy mouth.
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