Let’s face it, dentistry is not cheap. While your likely to spend far more on cars than you do on your teeth and mouth during you lifetime, it takes more than pocket change to get your teeth fixed. So how can you save money at the dentist?
First and most importantly, an ounce of prevention is worth way more than a pound of cure. Here’s how to prevent the two most common diseases in the world (tooth decay and gum disease). The bottom line is this:
- Don’t feed the sugar bugs between meals!
- Floss daily, especially at the gumline
When you come in to see the dentist, consider spending a little on preventive measures to save a lot in the long run. Examples include:-
- sealants to seal off the grooves where sugar bugs hide and most decay occurs
- fluoride treatments to harden the teeth- gels and foam are good; varnish is better
- splints (aka- nightguards) to prevent “occlusal disease”, which occurs when clenching and grinding your teeth at night causing cracked/broken teeth, worn/failed dental restorations, sensitive teeth and TMJ problems
If you already have lots of decay or gum disease, remember the four goals of dentistry, which are listed somewhat in order of priority:
- Remove/manage dental disease- tooth decay, gum disease, occlusal disease
- Replace what’s missing
- Preserve what’s left
- Cosmetic dentistry
Make sure to treat dental disease early. All dental disease is progressive! The longer you wait, the worse (and more expensive) it gets. Here’s what can happen when you wait to fix your teeth. When it comes to fixing your teeth, you will usually have options. Weigh pros/cons of each restorative option. You can sometimes save money if you don’t mind a little silver showing, or if you choose a removable denture versus crowns or implants.
Will going to a dentist with lower fees save you money? Well… maybe. If two dentists recommend the same treatment, then of course the one with lower fees will cost less, at least initially. But sometimes dentists with lower fees recommend more treatment. Or sometimes the quality of work is not as good, so the work needs to be redone sooner, costing more money in the long run. How do you know if a dentist may be treatment planning aggressively? If you are ever unsure of recommended treatment, get a second opinion. A dental exam costs far less than dental treatment which may not be necessary. How do you know if the dentist does good work? Ask friends who’ve been seeing them for a long time. Or check out the testimonials on their website.
Dentistry is not cheap. But there are many things you can do to keep your dental costs down, while still maintaining healthy teeth and gums. As always, feel free to contact me if you have any questions.
Dr. Steve
Roseville Family Dentist
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This is one of the most common questions dentists get, and it’s a good one. Our exposure to x-rays is cumulative over the course of our lives, meaning it constantly adds up and never goes away. Dentists have known this for many decades (long before we entered dental school). So we are very interested in minimizing the amount of radiation we are all exposed to. I have to say dentists have done an excellent job.
I just stumbled across a group called the Health Physics Society. They help provide health physicists with the information they need to do their job, which is ”to manage the beneficial use of ionizing radiation while protecting workers and the public from potential hazards”. (I’d never heaerd of a “health physicist” before.) Their website has a lot of great information on our radiation exposures- everything from airport screenings and cell phones to tanning salons.
Their page about dental patient issues has some great comparison numbers. Normal background radiation dose is about 360 mrem per year. That’s your annual exposure just by living on this planet. The dose for four bitewing (check-up) x-rays is 0.2 – 0.3 mrem, or less than half of what we are normally exposed to in a day. A full mouth set of x-rays is equivalent to a little more than one days normal background radiation.
On another page, they state, “differences in background levels between different parts of the country are larger than the effective dose for a bitewing. For example, moving from a lower-background region such as Minneapolis, Minnesota, to a higher-background region, such as Denver, Colorado, for a year would result in an increase in effective dose for that year that is about the same as 30 bitewing exams”. The US EPA estimates that we are exposed to 2-5 mrem on a cross-country flight, which is more than twice the exposure of a full mouth set of x-rays.
If any of you are concerned about just how much radiation you are receiving when you see your dentist, I encourage you to check out the “dental patient issues” page.
Dr. Steve
Roseville Family Dentist
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I got an email from a prospective patient asking what he could expect as a patient. I’ve seen different versions of Patient Bill Of Rights which often center around your right to choose your own dentist, your right to be seen in a timely manner, etc. But I look at this question more along the lines of “what should a patient expect from a dentist?”.
I posed the question on our Facebook page and got the following replies:
- “A friendly atmosphere and very knowledgeable staff.”
- “A very thorough experience from the best Dentist(s) and staff in the WORLD!”
I think a couple of our loyal patients were just buttering us up to be nice to them at their next visit.
Here’s what I think a patient should expect from a dentist:
- You should expect us to make your dental health our top priority.
- You should expect a very thorough exam when you first come in.
- You should expect an honest evaluation of what is good and bad about your teeth,
gums and surrounding areas.
- You should expect clear explanations of the pros/cons of the different treatment options as well as the costs so that you can make the best decision that is right for you.
- You should expect that when you come in for treatment, we will provide technically excellent treatment as comfortably as we possibly can.
- Oh, and you should expect a friendly atmosphere and very knowledgeable staff and a very thorough experience from the best Dentist(s) and staff in the WORLD!
Dr. Steve
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This really depends on what the veneer is being used for. A veneer can as thin as 1/2 mm, or about the thickness of a fingernail. So if we are adding bulk and length to a tooth, very little enamel needs to be removed. But if a dentist is trying to make teeth appear straighter or reshape them, we often need to take away more enamel where the teeth stick out too far. Also, if we are trying to cover dark, stained teeth, the veneer needs to be thicker so the porcelain can hide the dark tooth underneath without looking too “chalky”. In addition, if the tooth already has fillings, we will extend the veneer to cover the fillings. One thing to keep in mind is that the thicker the veneer, the more creative the lab man can be in creating an esthetic, natural looking tooth. On the other hand, the less tooth we remove, the more enamel is left to bond to.
What about “no prep” veneers? I am not a fan of true no-prep veneers. At the very least, I like to slightly prepare the margin of the veneer near the gumline so that the veneer does not jut out like a speed bump there. A smoother transition is easier to keep clean and it is less visible. Some dentists claim that no-prep veneers are completely reversible, but our ability to bond is so good, that it would be extremely difficult to remove a veneer without damaging the enamel underneath.
Often, especially when veneering more than one tooth, we will take a model of the teeth and add wax to see what we want the teeth to end up looking like. If the added wax is thick enough, then very little tooth needs to be removed.
Please don’t hesitate to ask if you have any questions.
Dr. Steve- Roseville Family Dentist
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When is the best time to brush your teeth? All our lives, we’ve heard it’s important to brush and floss out teeth right after eating. Dentists have been telling this to patients since toothpaste was invented. But some people in the industry are wondering if this is such a good idea. Whenever we consume something acidic, or something sweet which gets turned into acid, the outer layer of our tooth enamel is weakened by the acid attack. So some people recommend waiting 30-60 minutes after eating before scrubbing, and possible abrading the weakened enamel.
So, is it better to brush and floss immediately to remove food and plaque which may be contributing to tooth decay? Or, is it better to wait for the mouth to be less acidic and decrease the chance of eroding enamel away? At this time, there really is no clear answer. It’s mostly speculation at this time. There’s not much research to show which is really better for teeth. Either way, you’re doing more good than harm. Here’s what I recommend:
-Limit the number of times a day you eat or drink acidic and sugary foods and drinks
-Use soft-bristled toothbrushes with gentle circular cleaning motions rather than back and forth scrubbing
-Remember that flossing and brushing are more for preventing gum disease than for preventing decay, so floss daily and brush at least twice daily, whenever it makes the most sense to you
-And lastly, don’t worry too much about it
If any new research comes out clearly favoring one over the other, I’ll let you know!
Dr. Steve
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Dentists get this question a lot. While most people have heard of veneers, many do not really know what they are. In dentistry, a veneer refers to a thin piece of porcelain which is bonded to the front of a tooth (kind of like a false fingernail). Porcelain is brittle like glass. But when it is bonded to a tooth, it becomes much harder to break, similar to a slab of glass sitting on a dining room table.
I’ve been placing veneers since 1987, and I have one on one of my front teeth which was placed that same year. Veneers are used for many different situations. They can be used to repair worn, chipped or broken teeth, as long as there is enough natural tooth left to support them. They can close gaps between teeth. They can make small teeth larger. They can cover dark stained teeth. And they can make teeth appear straighter than they are. This is why they are often used in cosmetic dentistry.
How thin are veneers? Well, it depends on what they are being used for. I’ll discuss more about this in an upcoming blog post.
Dr. Steve
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Healthy Tan Airbrush Tanning Studio in Rocklin just posted a blog which is a slightly edited version of one of our articles on preventing dental disease:
http://healthytanairbrushtanning.com/blog/2010/10/october-think-healthy-healthy-teeth-gums-prevention/
Airbrush tanning is a safer alternative to sunbathing. They are committed to health through prevention, which is why they asked to post this article. So if you want a healthy tan without the risk of sunbathing or tanning booths, go see them!
Dr. Steve
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Right after posting the blog about “implant or bridge?”, I saw this forum question on About.com about implants versus partial denture. Here is my response:
“I am a dentist in Roseville, CA. Your questions are good ones. In general, the three options for replacing missing teeth are implants, bridges (or fixed dentures) and partials (removable dentures). They all have advantages and disadvantages. You said you do not want bridges, so we’ll rule that one out.
The advantage to implants is that it is like having your own teeth. They don’t come out, and you can chew normally on them. But they are the most costly option.
The advantage to partials dentures is that they are the most economical option, especially if you are replacing multiple teeth. But they are removable, which means they tend to trap food underneath them when you are eating and you cannot chew as hard on them, since they are at least partially supported by the gum tissues. I call them “gum mashers”.
Most people adapt well to partial dentures, but there are some people who don’t and end up putting them in the drawer to be found years later. Unfortunately, the only way for you to tell how YOU will do with them is to get a set.
If you do decide to get partials, there are three types. A metal framework partial is the strongest and longest lasting and you can chew the hardest on them, since the metal framework transfers some of the chewing force to adjacent teeth. An acrylic and wire partial is the least expensive, but it is strictly a gum masher so you can’t chew very hard on them. A flexible partial is often the most comfortable to patients initially, and they can be made to get some support from the remaining teeth, but not as much as a metal framework partial, and they don’t last as long. Plus, if you ever lose more teeth in the future, they are the hardest to add teeth to.
As for only replacing teeth on one side, I don’t recommend it. I know some dentists make them, but they are not as stable and can be a choking hazard.
I hope this information helps. If you have any more questions, please feel free to visit our website. You can contact me there.”
Dr. Steve
I am a dentist in Roseville, CA. Your questionsare good ones. In general, the three options for replacing missing teeth are implants, bridges (or fixed dentures) and partials (removable dentures). They all have advantages and disadvantages. You said you do not want bridges, so we’ll rule that one out.
The advantage to implants is that it is like having your own teeth. They don’t come out, and you can chew normally on them. But they are the most costly option.
The advantage to partials dentures is that they are the most economical option, especially if you are replacing multiple teeth. But they are removable, which means they tend to trap food underneath them when you are eating and you cannot chew as hard on them, since they are at least partially supported by the gum tissues. I call them “gum mashers”.
Most people adapt well to partial dentures, but there are some people who don’t and end up putting them in the drawer to be found years later. Unfortunately, the only way for you to tell how YOU will do with them is to get a set.
If you do decide to get partials, there are three types. A metal framework partial is the strongest and longest lasting and you can chew the hardest on them, since the metal framework transfers some of the chewing force to adjacent teeth. An acrylic and wire partial is the least expensive, but it is strictly a gum masher so you can’t chew very hard on them. A flexible partial is often the most comfortable to patients initially, and they can be made to get some support from the remaining teeth, but not as much as a metal framework partial, and they don’t last as long. Plus, if you ever lose more teeth in the future, they are the hardest to add teeth to.
As for only replacing teeth on one side, I don’t recommend it. I know some dentists make them, but they are not as stable and can be a choking hazard.
I hope this information helps. If you have any more questions, please feel free to visit our website. You can contact me there.
www.RosevilleFamilyDentist.com
Good luck!
Dr. Steve
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When someone loses a tooth, there are several options for replacing it. Here in Roseville and Granite Bay, many people can afford a fixed option for tooth replacement. One of the most common questions dentists get these days is whether a tooth should be replaced with an implant or a bridge. There is some debate in the dental community as to which is ultimately better. As with most things, each has advantages which means sometimes an implant is the better choice and sometimes a bridge is the better choice.
An implant is an artificial root, usually made of titanium, which is surgically placed into the jawbone. When the bone grows around it and is holding it tight, a crown can be placed on it, effectively replacing the tooth. The main advantages of an implant are:
-Nothing needs to be done to the teeth on either side of the missing tooth.
-Since it is not attached to the teeth on either side, it can be flossed like a natural tooth.
-You never have to worry about getting decay on an implant (but it is possible to get something like gum disease, or bone loss, around an implant).
A bridge involves preparing the teeth on either side for crowns. Then a bridge is made of crowns to cover those teeth with a false tooth attached between them. The main advantages of a bridge are:
-No surgeries are involved.
-Less expensive than implants (and dental insurance coverage is better than for implants).
-Can be completed in a few weeks, rather than several months.
Other factors to consider include:
-Do adjacent teeth already have large fillings or crowns on them?
-Is there any bone loss (gum disease) around the adjacent teeth?
-Is the bone thick and dense enough for an implant?
-Do you have a high cavity rate?
Both implants and bridges have high success rates. Our job as dentists is to present the options and to lay out the pros/cons of each option so that you can decide which makes the most sense for your mouth. Then, the choice is yours!
Dr. Steve
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Here’s a good article about baby teeth posted on About.com:Dental Care. First, and most importantly, they point out that baby teeth are important to keep because they hold the proper space for the permanent teeth to erupt. In addition, an abscessed baby tooth can damage the permanent tooth forming in the bone below it. So keep sugar out of your kids’ mouths between meals, especially at bedtime! Remember that milk sugar and fruit sugar can cause decay in young kids’ teeth as well as table sugar.
As for brushing with toothpaste, the most important thing is to control how much toothpaste is being put onto the brush. Kids are going to swallow some of the paste no matter what you do. The American Dental Association takes that into account when they revised their fluoride tablet recommendations for people who don’t have fluoride in their water. So put a pea-sized amount of paste on their brush and let them go to town.
We also think it’s important to get kids into the habit of flossing their teeth as young as possible. The best way to do this is to floss your own teeth at the same time everyday and let them watch. Create a family flossing time. This can also be the best way to get parents to floss regularly! It’s not so important that they do a great job of it, just yet. Get them into a good habit now, and they can work on technique when they get older.
So taking care of baby teeth is important for the normal development of the permanent teeth. And doing so is mostly a matter of developing good habits. Don’t feed the sugar bugs between meals, especially at night. And get them into good flossing and brushing habits early using a pea-sized amount of a fluoride toothpaste. Then take them to the dentist twice a year for some fun, easy visits!
Dr. Steve
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