I work as a clerical assistant in a pediatric dental office, and I am commonly surprised by the number of children who are scared of the dentist. Many kids think that cleanings will be painful, and they believe they will be scolded for eating sugary foods. Children are also extremely frightful of the noises made by the water spraying tools and the suction devices. As adults, we know that dental cleanings are easy and free of pain. We need to impart this knowledge to our children so they know not to fear the dentist. I have provided blogs that will help you speak with your child about dental care. Good communication, trips to your own dentist, and online videos can assist you. So will good brushing techniques that will make your child proud to see the dentist. Enjoy my articles so you can help your child build oral care confidence.
Alfred Kelley
Do you need dental work done, but you don't know how you'll be able to afford it? Are your finances tight but you're having a hard time concentrating on work due to the pain? Getting your teeth fixed up can be expensive, especially if you've let the issues linger for months or even years. But now you just can't deal with it anymore; you're taking so many over the counter pain medications that you're worried about your liver. Here are some ways to be able to visit a dentist, hopefully without completely breaking your budget:
Look for a discount plan: A dental insurance plan can sometimes be expensive, doesn't provide immediate coverage, and only allows a certain amount of work done per calendar year. If your teeth were relatively healthy, a budget of around $1,000 every year to get your teeth worked on might sound like a lot. But if you're having issues with more than one tooth, spending just $1,000 at a dentist might seem very low right now. Fortunately, there are dental discount plans that can help. These plans typically provide discounts across a wide number of dental services, starting immediately from when you subscribe. Depending on what you need to have done, the discounts themselves may range from 25% to almost 100%. Make sure that your preferred dentist will accept your discount plan before you subscribe.
Apply for credit: Although not ideal, due to the interest rates involved, there is a credit card that is specifically for dental and health needs. Called CareCredit, this card is accepted by many dentists. Your dentist may even have application forms available in his or her office. If you've recently gotten a raise and can afford the dental work in the future but you want to have it completed as soon as possible, using a credit card may be a good option.
Ask for payment plans: Dentists obviously want to be paid and they would also clearly prefer if you paid for all work up front. However, many dentists are quite understanding when his or her clients can't afford to pay everything at once. Ask your dentist if you can set up a monthly payment plan with him or her. Depending on your dentist, he or she may want at least some money up front as a down payment before beginning work, but this may be a viable solution for you if you don't qualify for traditional credit.
For more information about treatment and payment options, talk to a dentist like Kyle J Frisinger DMD.