Rockland County Dentist | Spring Valley NY Dentist | Bergen County NJ dentist Alan F. Pressman, D.M.D.

Today, with the economy, many people both with and without insurance do not go to the dentist until they are in pain or discomfort or 'something is broken'. Insurance plans are simply not designed to cover everything. There are exclusions for things that are ’pre-existing conditions’, limits on coverage, and categorizations of some important procedures as 'elective'. An example of pre-existing condition would be if you were to lose a tooth prior to coverage, a replacement tooth is not covered because you lost the tooth prior to being insured.

Plans today are often subject to annual maximums that are at the same ceilings they were at in the late 1970’s. The simple fact is that $1500 in dental work does not go as far today as it did 35 years ago. Companies pay according to ‘Usual and Customary Rates’(UCR). The problem with this approach is that regions of the country are grouped together. The cost of living and therefore caring for your teeth in Salinas, California is obviously different from San Francisco, or Los Angeles... the cost of living in Florida, New York is very different from New City, New York. Furthermore, companies only pay a percentage of these UCR’s that they set. For example, if a dentist charges $700 for a root canal on a front tooth, your insurance companies UCR may be just $500. They may typically only cover 75% or 80% of that UCR. This means that for a $700 procedure, there is only coverage for about $400. And of course this doesn’t take into account that annual deductible.

Even though insurance wasn’t originally designed to cover everything, it is usually better than nothing. Some plans cost more out of pocket to maintain than they are worth. An insurance company operates much like a Casino, odds are with the house, the house always wins. Sometimes cutting back to save money today just means paying out more of your hard earned dollars tomorrow.

Millions of people postpone their dental visits. This can be much more harmful to your teeth than more frequent periodic visits to the dentist. (if your delay is not for financial reasons, take a look here or stay tuned for ways to make your trip more relaxing or pleasurable.) A simple filling today can be a root canal or a crown tomorrow; a root canal left unattended becomes an extraction, later becoming a bridge, an implant, a denture or even just a space that can cause even more problems.

Dental disease is progressive and cumulative. If one delays for weeks or months, simple procedures become complicated expensive tasks.

Gum disease (periodontitis) can lead to extractions if not treated. Even worse is the link between the bacteria that causes periodontitis and systemic diseases like diabetes, atherosclerosis, heart disease and alzheimer’s disease.

Many offices, including mine, offer convenient payment options: sometimes even with 0% financing for 6 months to a year.

Whether you’re thinking about putting off your dental appointment because of the economy or you are just fearful about visiting the dentist, your problems with your mouth and teeth will not just go away. The choices you make can affect your smile, your wallet and even your life.

All three matter to me.

Last changed: Dec 24 2010 at 7:12 AM