I am wondering this, now for the sake of keeping my teeth I vote dentist every 6 months (plus home care) But to tell the truth, I am not sure it is financially better.
A root canal and fillings are expensive...but so are x rays and cleanings.
Different dentists charge different amounts bu having researched price recently the average for a root canal is 1000..plus a crown at 1300 (why does it cost more to make em pretty than to clean em out?)
a checkup (with x rays) costs between 2 and 3 hundred...two a year is 400 to 600 a year.
And no guarantee having regular checkups will remove the need for a root canal!
So I am not sure teeth really follow the 'cheaper to maintain than fix' rule....
Is it cheaper to go to a dentist every 6 months or to wait for pain?
February 19th, 2008 at 06:44 pm
February 19th, 2008 at 06:59 pm 1203447548
The most frugal, and healthy, thing you can do is floss twice a day.
February 19th, 2008 at 07:49 pm 1203450549
I agree that the frugal thing to do is to floss and brush your teeth.
February 19th, 2008 at 08:30 pm 1203453037
These days more and more dentists recommend 3 months. That seems overkill to me. Likewise, I don't find the vists to be expensive, so I don't mind going every 6 months.
February 19th, 2008 at 10:44 pm 1203461049
Crowns are not just for pretty. They should also be engineered well to preserve function and useful alignment of remaining teeth.
February 20th, 2008 at 02:25 am 1203474347
I also think it's worth "shopping around" for dentists and prices. I am almost convinced that many will charge you different rates for same basic service.
February 20th, 2008 at 03:49 am 1203479358
before then, i had major work done as i had not been before that time, since i was about 7. it cost to the tune of $2000
February 20th, 2008 at 04:26 am 1203481563
1. Appointment length- (should be AT LEAST 45 minutes. If you find one who gives an hour or more all the better)
2. What is done at first visit as a new patient -(absolute best scenario is the DDS sees you first, thoroughly goes over your dental and healthy history, looks in your mouth and comes up with a treatment plan, explains everything and answers all your questions, Xrays if needed, baseline data collected...notice I did not say cleaning. These offices are very difficult to find and usually expensive - because they are worth it. Next best scenario is you are given an hour appointment or more so that the RDH or RDA can go over dental/medical history, collect baseline data & take xrays if needed, then the DDS examines you, comes up with a treatment plan, and the RDH cleans your teeth if there is time and you do not need more than a simple cleaning)
3. The DDS washes their hands and puts on new gloves when he walks in the room. Seriously. Some don't and it is scary!
4. I'm sure there are more but it was a 12 hour day today and I am tired! *LOL*
PS. I am a preventative specialist. Prevention is cheaper than disease, also less embarrassing, less painful, etc. Who says you'll only need ONE root canal if you skip those regular preventive appointments?!
Not everyone needs to see the DDS every 6 months, but it is more likely that a person will need a more frequent recall (every 3 or 4 months) than need a less frequent one because most people do not take very good care of their teeth. If you really want to save money, next time you are at your preventive appt, ask your RDH to show you how to brush and floss and what else he/she recommends for your personal care routine...and then do it! At your next appt you can ask for feedback and recommendations for improvement. Once you are really good at taking care of your mouth, you can ask about once yearly appts, and I bet they agree. I can almost guarantee that they will be ecstatic that you actually care enough to ask for help!!!
February 20th, 2008 at 04:48 pm 1203526115
Now flossing and brushing I totally agree is frugal! Very worth the cost...
March 22nd, 2009 at 08:21 pm 1237753275
July 1st, 2009 at 09:45 pm 1246481136
No, because this has been exposed as an utter fraud. The 3000 mile gimick goes back to a marketing genius who put it on those window stickers for one of the oil change franchises.
There is no mechanical reason to change the oil at 3,000 miles. 5,000 is the norm unless your manual says 10,000.