Think Going to the Dentist May Hurt? Not Going Can Be Worse.

It may sound odd, but the best way to save money on dental care … is by going to the dentist.

Getting regular checkups and cleanings not only saves your teeth, it also saves you money. How much? According to a multi-year study conducted by Cigna, preventive care results in consistent cost savings.

• Over a five-year period, people aged 18-64 who saw the dentist regularly reduced their dental costs by 31%.

• People who didn’t get regular dental care? During the same five-year period their costs went up by 43%.

Dental decay is almost entirely preventable with regular professional dental care. Spending a little bit on dental checkups and cleanings will save you a lot over the long run. That 43% rise in costs for people who didn’t get preventive care was because they needed a lot more restorative care – like root canals, crowns, and dentures. Restorative care is really expensive.

Here’s how it breaks down: Two routine dental visits a year is what’s typically recommended, for a checkup, cleaning and basic (bitewing) x-rays. That usually costs $150-$200 per visit, and usually much less if you have dental insurance or a dental savings plan.

But let’s say you skip a couple of visits. What happens next?

• If you develop a cavity, it’ll cost about $150-$300 to have it filled. This treatment stops the decay process but drilling away large areas of decay can lead to weaker teeth that are prone to problems over the long-term.

• And if don’t stop decay early, the costs mount quickly. The most common dental treatment performed on badly decayed teeth is a root canal, which typically costs $1000 to $1,300.

• Root canals typically require a dental crown, so add an additional $1,000 or so.

• If your tooth/teeth are beyond saving, dentures or dental bridges typically cost from $3,000 to $4,500.

• A single dental implant can cost at least twice as much as a dental bridge.

Periodontal (gum) treatments, which may range in cost from $600 to $2,000, are often needed when infection has set in to restore oral health.

• Skip your cleanings, and you’ll likely be dealing with dental problems ranging from bad breath to tooth loss.

• Untreated gum disease has also been connected to health issues such as cardiac disease, strokes, respiratory infections, digestive issues and Alzheimer’s Disease.

• Oral infections can also complicate the medical management of conditions such as diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis.

Check out our infographic, it’s easy to see how skipping preventive care can get real expensive, really fast.

Even when you know that delaying preventive care will cost you, if you can’t afford the cost of care what can you do?

Dental savings plans are an affordable alternative to traditional insurance. Plan members get discounts of 10-60% on virtually all of their dental care from more than 100,000 participating dentists. You get reduced rates at the dentist within just 1-3 days of joining a plan, and there’s no limit on how much you can save, or how often you can go!