Don’t Let Your Teeth Land You In The ER
July 2, 2015
July 2, 2015
Now more than ever, it’s not just a good idea to visit your dentist regularly, it’s a necessity.
An increasing number of people are visiting the emergency room for dental issues, often for problems that have become severe because they put off basic dental care. Not only is this harmful to your health, it’s harmful to your wallet. From a recent article on rising ER visits for dental problems:
“By law, ERs have to see patients even if they can’t pay. But although they often provide little more than painkillers and antibiotics to dental patients, the visits cost more than three times as much as a routine dental visit, averaging $749 if the patient isn’t hospitalized — and costing the U.S. health care system $1.6 billion a year.”
About 40% of U.S. adults (18+) have not visited the dentist in the past year. And though dental cavities are the number one most common chronic disease for children and teens (ages 6 – 19), around 18% of kids’ cavities are going untreated. Why is this happening?
Two common barriers that we often hear are that dental care is expensive, and that visits are inconvenient. We can help with that!
With offices nationwide, we likely have an office near where you live or work. And while there are many factors that contribute to the cost of care, there are three ways we’re trying to keep visits affordable for patients.
Many dental issues that start out small can become complex and more expensive to deal with if you avoid regular dental care. Your oral health is closely tied to your overall health, and helping you achieve your optimal health and well-being is our primary goal.