How Long Can I Go Without Seeing My Dentist? Do I Need a Discount Dental Plan?

By Susan Braden
Published Jul 20 2010

While 85% of adults have had dental decay, 30% have left it untreated, according to Healthy People 2010. Often this is for financial reasons, but a discount dental plan can help offset the cost. Some people try to avoid the dentist as long as possible, but serious health problems can arise from this.

You should schedule a visit at least every six months to a year. Avoiding the dentist any longer than that may allow problems to increase unnoticed. Sensitive gums could lead to periodontal disease or plaque that could lead to advanced tooth decay. Plaque buildup or bleeding gums could also mean severe decay and jawbone damage if left untreated.

Brushing your teeth and flossing regularly are important to your dental hygiene, but these habits alone can't prevent every dental problem. Regular dentist visits will help keep your teeth clean, and allow professionals to detect any potential problems in your mouth early on.

What if I Don’t Have Dental Coverage?

Some people avoid professional checkups because they don’t have insurance, but you can easily find a discount plan to help with the cost. Some cities even have low-cost dental clinics to serve low-income areas. Expense should not be an issue when considering oral health, because there are economical options for everyone.

Avoiding a Dentist Can Increase Your Pain and Cost

A classic example is the decaying tooth. Some people say they would rather have a decayed tooth fall out than pay a dentist to extract it. Failing to treat the tooth, however, can lead to gum disease. After the decay demolishes the inside of one tooth, it could move to another and even start destroying your entire jaw structure. In an effort to extract the rotting tooth itself, your body will deteriorate the surrounding bone anchoring it to the jaw until it falls out. When you need a replacement prosthetic tooth to replace it, the implant will be difficult to anchor in the weakened bone. A visit to repair or treat such a problem will be much more costly than if you had simply paid a small fee for an extraction.

Don’t wait until you have serious oral health issues to attend regular checkups. Find a discount dental plan and visit a dentist as soon as possible to improve your oral health and general well-being.