The Quality of LIFE Radio Show for July 4, 2023 - Dental Insurance

Let’s talk about the top 10 reasons to see a dentist every 6 months.

1.  How do you choose the right dental plan? Not all plans are created equal. Call Owen Insurance Group to go over your many affordable options. When you skip a thorough cleaning at the dentist's office, the plaque trapped in your hard-to-reach places will harden into tartar. That's not tartar sauce. It's like mortar. It's difficult to remove with home at home brushing and flossing and the dentist has special equipment to help remove that tartar.

2.  Well, if you're enjoying the plaque buildup, you're now going to suffer from tooth decay. So, the buildup of plaque and the formation of tartar (not tartar sauce) will certainly lead to tooth decay. If not treated by a dentist tooth decay can lead to a mess of other dental health issues, including halitosis (really bad breath) and ultimately, tooth loss.

3.  Tooth loss…the buildup of plaque and the formation of tartar will lead to tooth decay. And if not treated by a dentist, tooth decay will lead to a mess of other health issues, including bad breath ultimately. When these serious situations arise, the dentist is going to be pulling those teeth. Or you're just going to be living with an extremely painful situation in your mouth.

4.  Number four is gum disease. We know it can be easy to forget about the health of your gums, especially if they are not painful or causing you any kind of discomfort. Gingivitis, which is an early stage of gum disease can be present even in red and swollen gums that feel fine. Patients who don't visit the dentist risk their gingivitis turning into serious periodontal disease. It's common that patients with advanced stages of periodontal disease experience jawbone loss, and of course, tooth loss. Regular visits to your dentist allow a dental professional to perform an early diagnosis, they can catch and treat gingivitis at a very early stage, but seriously guys and gals go to the darn dentist, please go get your teeth checked and get it taken care of. Who wants to have a stroke because you didn't go to the dentist. All that plaque and stuff gets into your bloodstream and gets into your heart and then eventually can cause a stroke.

5.  You alluded to it earlier, Gary. And this is something that you don't really need to go to the dentist to know if you have it or not. Because usually those who love you or closest friends and family members or those who hate you will remind you, good or bad, you have bad breath. Not just because you ate the garlic. All that bacteria, plaque, and tartar buildup in your mouth will lead to a less than pleasant smelling breath. Bad breath can also be the result of periodontal disease, something you may not catch if you don't see your dentist. So you may think oh, I just had a bad breakfast today, or garlic last night or whatnot. But you may have periodontal disease and again if you're going to the dentist on a regular basis, it can be caught and caught early on.

6.  Number six, we're going to talk about cavities. Cavities are the obvious and likely outcome of a mouth that hasn't been cleaned or examined by a dentist for quite some time. The buildup of bacteria, plaque and tartar gradually eat away at tooth enamel sounds like fun, doesn't it? Which causes holes in the tooth. These are cavities people; small cavities can be easily filled. Large extensive cavities, however, require more dental work, such as crowns and possibly a root canal. In patients who don't see their dentist regularly risk their small easily treated cavity turning into a much larger harder to treat situation down the road. I will tell you right now that root canals are not fun. Stay away from root canals.

7.  Tooth stains: the accumulation of tartar and plaque will not only increase the risk of cavities and tooth decay, but they will also leave an unpleasant stain on your teeth which will only get worse the longer you put off going to the dentist. Oh, how nice it feels when you leave the dentist, and your teeth are all nice and clean.  

8.  We all hate to hear about anyone who's been impacted by cancer, right? So, number eight is oral cancer. Each time you visit the dentist for a teeth cleaning and examination is also done. Part of this dental exam includes screening for oral cancer. The longer you postpone going to the dentist, the longer you'll go without checking for potentially deadly oral cancer. If you haven't gone to the dentist for an extended period, you may be at risk of having the onset of oral cancer and not even know it. It’s Horrible.

9.  Number nine is the risk of disease and illness in other parts of the body. More studies and research have linked one's oral health to one's overall health. Patients who neglect proper care of their mouths by not regularly seeking a dentist's risk not only getting tooth and gum disease, but they also risk getting diseases and illnesses in other parts of their body. Some major health conditions related to oral health include heart disease, diabetes, stroke, and breast cancer.  

10. Finally, number 10: Abscesses and infections, abscesses, infections, diseases, oh my. The longer one goes without going to the dentist, the longer any abscesses or cuts can spread and get infected. Some abscesses are not readily noticed. And it only be detected by Xray. Patients who postpone going to the dentist put their oral and overall health and well-being at risk. So my question to you is, are you putting yourself at risk? Do you have a decent dental plan? Are you going to the dentist two or three times a year? So we talked about the top 10 things that can happen when you don't go to the dentist now. This brings some tears of joy of what we can do to help people come up with an affordable dental plan.  

There's a difference between dental insurance and a dental discount plan, major difference between the two. We're not talking about a dental discount plan, we're not going to even deal with that today for times sake. I'm not saying they're bad. But when you're paying for a bonafide dental insurance plan, then you're going to stick to utilizing that plan, because the more you use it, the more and the longer you have it, the stronger the benefits become. What do you mean, Gary? Well, before we get there, the one plan you should not buy. I'm not going to mention the plans by name. But all I will say is you get what you pay for. So no, there's just one plan that people are flocking to, because it's only like $14.95 a month…cheap, cheap. But your annual benefit is only like $700 for the year. And then you have a deductible of $50 to pay each time. That plan only covers basic cleanings. That's it. So, if you're going to do that, you can just self-insure, you really don't need to spend the money.

It doesn't make sense to try to figure this out on your own. Don't travel the road alone, you have us to help you on your journey. But I personally own this Pinnacle plan. It first year benefit gives you $1,200, second year benefit increases to $2500, and the 3rd year and beyond gives you $5,000 of total annual benefits. And the premium is only about $32 per month, you can add a vision plan, a VSP rider to that too. So, I happen to own that. So, you know, my philosophy is if I'm going to look at the buying something I'm going to ask my agent or the salesperson, what do you own? Very good, because that will kind of indicate to me what I should consider buying.  

Call Owen Insurance Group if you have questions about Dental insurance coverage and costs. Call 772-210-1020 or visit us at OwenInsuranceGroup.com.