RALEIGH, NC – If you reschedule your dentist appointment during the pandemic, you are not alone. Almost 48% of adults in the United States have reported delaying dental care due to COVID-19, according to research by SAGE Journals.
For others who lost their jobs, they often also lost their dental insurance.
What would you like to know
- Nearly Half of U.S. Adults Delayed Dental Care Due to Pandemic
- 114 million people worldwide have lost their jobs, often losing their dental insurance
- Be sure to ask your dentist for in-house payment options, look for coupons, and follow Dr. Farrell’s advice below.
These things shouldn’t stop you from planning your date. Many dental offices, including Farrell Family Dentistry in Raleigh, have created in-house payment options for people to help pay for their care.
Dr Andrew Farrell said: “If you can’t pay everything right away, you should be ready to ask and they should be ready to offer payment plans. It helps you, helps them, you get the job done and you know, everyone’s doing better in the long run. “
Another way to save money is to ask for offers or check out websites like Groupon. For example, Farrell offers a deal for an exam, x-ray, and teeth cleaning for $ 59.
Farrell recommends that patients also ask their dentist to outline any treatment options, as well as the urgency of when things need to be taken care of. Some dental repairs may be delayed longer than others.
“Make sure the dentist gives you a number of different, inexpensive and expensive options,” Farrell said. “Then he can work with you from there on the payment plans. “
He also says that most people pay too much for basic products, especially toothpaste. In fact, he’s seeing more people coming in with sensitivity issues related to whitening and charcoal toothpaste.
“Any type of toothpaste will work, as long as it contains fluoride. You don’t have to pay $ 7-10 for toothpaste,” Farrell said.
Farrell also pointed out that parents should brush their children’s teeth until they are old enough to apply sunscreen on their own. While parents don’t see the damage right away, as they would with a sunburn, the long-term damage from poor brushing can be very costly in the long run.
“I really can’t think of a better way to spend your money, being inexpensive to start with, to avoid things that are very expensive to start with,” Farrell said. “Brush, floss, be aware of what you eat and when you eat it, and brush your teeth. It’s really important. “
