Are you tired of this series yet? Well, good news! Today's our final installment! I would probably be more timely, if I didn't have to work for a living :P
Taking care of your teeth in a frugal manner is almost 100% preventative. In other words, you need to head off dental problems before they show up. Most of the time, you can.
I have two kids, and they both got the exact same dental care growing up. Brendan has never had a cavity, and his teeth are perfectly straight, naturally. Claire has had cavities her whole life, did the $4000 round of braces, and wears a mouth guard at night for TMJ. She takes better care of her teeth, and yet, this recent trip to the dentist revealed 3 more cavities. Sigh.
Well, when you grow up with absolutely no dental problems, you tend to get a bit lazy. Kind of like growing up without a weight problem: you eat what you want with no fear of repercussions.
Brendan had to pay the piper this past year. After several years of no dental appointments, he went to a new dentist in Canton, only to find out he had periodontal disease, which necessitated painful scraping under his gums and a prescription rinse, all to the tune of over $900. Ouch. Of course, this happened before he was eligible for dental care through his employer. Having had quite a scare, Brendan must now floss, brush and rinse well every single day, and schedule regular dental appointments, for the rest of his life. We got him a very nice electric toothbrush for Christmas.
Claire must ALSO floss, brush and rinse well every single day, just to keep her problematic teeth from getting worse. No traisping off to bed with unbrushed teeth for either one of my precious gems.
We all know flossing is a pain, but neglecting to do so results in even bigger pain! I didn't start flossing regularly myself, until I was in my late 30's and going through a divorce. I had always had dental insurance and regular dental care throughout my childhood and first marriage, but facing the possiblity of not being insured when I became single, I started flossing every night. It has made a huge difference, and I know the problems I HAVE had could have been worse had I not been so diligent.
Both Crest and Colgate have come out with new toothpaste and rinse combos. Far from being just another marketing scheme, they really work! Dentists can tell if you use the rinse, paste and floss routine! Another integral part of good toothcare: get yourself an electric toothbrush! You don't have to go all out and buy the $100 plus models; the $5-on up disposables really pack a punch. They are great for ridding your teeth of plaque.
How long should you brush? Two minutes at least. Pay attention especially to the backsides of your very last tooth on both upper and lowers. They do the most work chewing, and because they are so hard to reach, they get neglected, and more often than not, they're the teeth that get infected and pulled. If you have an electric toothbrush, they are especially effective in getting those hard to reach teeth.
Ok, so we've covered the basics. Now, what about whitening? You've asked at a very good time! At home whitening kits are effective and much cheaper than the dentist's version, which can run $500 and up. An average of $30 is what you might spend for the DIY kits. I've used them twice, and they are great! They don't taste all that great, but it's a temporary thing........2 weeks of daily whitening treatments can yield almost a year of pearly white teeth.
Doing as much preventative care as possible can eliminate a lot of dental problems. However, like with Claire, sometimes your best just isn't good enough. Unfortunately, you can't shop around for cheap dental care that's also good. Our family had several bad experiences with a dental chain that supposedly saved us money, but the care was dangerous and substandard. Ask around for a good, caring dentist. Also, look into dental insurance if you can. That monthly investment will pay off when it's needed (just ask Brendan!).
So, to sum up today's blog:
Never go to bed with unbrushed teeth!
Always floss daily (at least once a day)
Use the floss, brush, rinse 3 step punch!
Blow everyone away with your DIY whites!
Ask around for a good dentist, and utlize dental insurance if you can.
And, smile, darn it!
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