Save on Medical Costs with Regular Teeth Cleaning

Visiting your regular dentist for regular teeth cleaning and maintaining good oral health not only keeps your smile looking great and prevents gum disease, but it may also reduce costs for any patients who suffer from a number of medical conditions.

Princeview Dental always tells their patients to brush once a day, floss, and rinse with mouthwash, as well as schedule a cleaning and check-up every six months. And now there’s a new reason to; according to a study by United Concordia Dental Insurance in the U.S., people suffering from certain medical conditions, such as heart disease and stroke, as well as gum disease can greatly reduce their medical costs if they treat their gum disease and maintain good oral health.

The study followed 338,891 people with gum disease in addition to having diabetes, cerebral vascular disease, or heart disease or being pregnant over a five-year period.

The study found that receiving regular periodontal treatment lead to a 40.2% decrease, or $2,840 less, in treatment costs for patients suffering from diabetes. Patients with cerebral vascular disease reported a 40.9%, or a $5,681, reduction in medical costs. There was a 10.7%, or $1,090, decrease in costs for those suffering from coronary artery disease, while patients who were pregnant saw a 73.7%, or $2,433, reduction in medical costs.

Additionally, patients with diabetes, risk of stroke, and heart disease saw their hospital visits fall by 40% after they started receiving regular teeth cleanings and periodontal treatment.

Regardless of whether you suffer from any of the medical conditions listed, Princeview Dental tells their patients that maintaining good oral hygiene and scheduling regular appointments at our conveniently located practice on the Kingsway in Etobicoke will help your general health.

That’s why if you suffer from any of the medical conditions listed above or you are an expectant mother, maintaining good oral hygiene and receiving regular teeth cleaning is especially important. As noted, treatments for many medical treatments are expensive, even more so if your insurance only partially covers the cost or does not cover it all. If you don’t have adequate medical coverage, the costs of a chronic medical condition can take a huge bite out of your finances.

If you’re an expectant mother, we recommend taking extra care of your teeth during your pregnancy and scheduling an appointment with us at least once before your delivery date for a teeth cleaning and check-up, as having gum disease can result in premature births.

Finally, above all else, do not hesitate to call us if you notice anything wrong, like swollen and inflamed gums or bleeding when you floss or brush. If it is caught early, gum disease can be treated easily. At Princeview Dental, we offer affordable teeth cleaning and treatment for patients suffering from gum disease.

Source:

Mamula, K.B., “Study: Gum disease related to medical costs,” Pittsburgh Business Times, March 26, 2014, http://www.bizjournals.com/pittsburgh/news/2014/03/26/study-gum-disease-related-to-medical-costs.html.