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Jean McClain-Moutardier knew her 9-year-old daughter needed some work done on her teeth. But since she didn’t have dental insurance to help cover the cost, she didn’t bring her in right away

Doing the paperwork to get coverage took time. Too much time, in this case.

On a Saturday night a few weeks ago, the girl kept waking up in horrible pain. McClain-Moutardier wasn’t going to wait any longer. She took her daughter to the Emergency Room for pain relief, and then to a follow-up appointment with a dentist.

She found out the routine dental care the girl needed had progressed into a serious problem requiring major repairs.

“At the point that she got to, I really didn’t care what had to be done,” McClain-Moutardier said. “No one likes to see their kid in pain.”

Many people are scared of going to the dentist. Others may have a hard time fitting an appointment into their schedule, and in some places it’s not easy to find a dentist’s office. But, by far, the biggest obstacle to getting regular dental care is cost.

Most people believe that visiting the dentist is important. Yet, nearly 60 percent of people who skipped routine dental care in the past 12 months said they couldn’t afford it, according to an American Dental Association poll.

“Cost was the main reason irrespective of age, income level or dental insurance status,” researchers wrote about the survey in the Health Affairs journal. “It is important to note that cost was the top barrier to dental care even for adults with private dental insurance.”

So, what’s the problem with avoiding the dentist? Well, just like an untreated problem with an automobile, problems with teeth get worse over time. In the long run, semi-annual dental cleanings cost much, much less than tooth extractions, crowns and root canals that can cost thousands of dollars.

And it’s not just teeth that suffer when dental care is ignored. A growing body of research links poor oral health to several health problems including cardiovascular disease, respiratory infections and dementia.

Studies have shown that people who see the dentist regularly have fewer health issues and spend less money on medical care overall.

“There is compelling evidence that financial barriers to dental care result in serious consequences to oral health and overall health and well-being,” researchers wrote. “Adults are suffering serious consequences from not receiving dental care because of cost.”

The survey data is helpful for public policy makers looking to improve the country’s health. On an individual level, the data makes it clear that private dental practices must do more to make routine care affordable to patients.

Some dentist’s offices now offer discount plans to help patients pay for regular cleanings and avoid the much-higher costs of major restorative care. For example, Gentle Dental Associates in Ann Arbor offers a preventive care package that includes two semi-annual exams, two professional cleanings and one set of bitewing X-rays for the low cost of just $22.50 per month.

Or, for a small annual fee, Gentle Dental Associates covers the entire family with 35-percent off preventive services such as exams, cleanings and X-rays, and 25-percent off restorative services such as fillings, crowns, root canals and implants.

“We created these plans in response to patients that only came when they were in pain and had to have a tooth removed,” said Felicia Romberger, office manager. “We wished they would come for regular cleanings so that they didn’t have to suffer the catastrophic consequences of lost teeth.

“The best way to save money on dental care is to have twice-annual preventive appointments. This allows problems to be diagnosed quickly and treated before they become more intrusive and expensive.”

Here’s a quick cost comparison:

• A small one-surface filling costs between $150 and $200
• If that cavity is not treated until it progresses and becomes painful, then a root canal, core and crown could be needed at a cost of about $3,000
• Even the cost of extracting the tooth would be about $100 more than filling the cavity early, and removing a tooth can lead to other problems: difficulty chewing, increased risk of bone loss and higher likelihood of additional extractions.

About 60 percent of adults go to the dentist regularly, according to survey data. But many people put off visiting the dentist until something is wrong, and that’s when care becomes more expensive.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control estimates that 27 percent of adults have an untreated cavity. This can be fixed with a simple filling, but if the cavity festers and expands it will require dental care that can cost 15 to 20 times as much money.

“All of this could be prevented if it was caught early, and a filling costs less than an extraction, too,” Romberger said. “Plus, there is little to no pain involved with a filling.

“We have had great success in helping those patients without insurance remain healthy with our affordable plans.”

Ironically, putting off visits to the dentist because of cost actually ends up costing more in the long run. It was an expensive lesson learned for McClain-Moutardier. Her daughter had to have a pulpotomy on one of her molar teeth, and she’ll eventually need a full root canal, too.

Worse than that, she feels horrible that her daughter had to go through such a painful experience.

“Thinking no one’s going to be able to help me because I don’t have insurance is not the right way to look at it,” McClain-Moutardier said. “I should have not been afraid to ask for help and do what I needed to do to fix the problem before it became a big problem.”

Behind cost, fear of the dentist was the second-biggest reason people avoid going to the dentist, according to the ADA survey. Other leading reasons: people say their appointment time and location are inconvenient, have trouble finding a dentist, or no longer have any teeth.

Inflamed gums are a fairly common dental issue, but unfortunately, many people don't take the problem seriously enough. If you ignore inflamed gums and continue your usual routine, you could be encouraging a much more severe inflammation problem, and the pain that goes along with that. Fortunately, it is quite easy to relieve inflamed gums if you use the tips below.

Use Soft Bristles

A soft-bristle toothbrush - the softest you can buy - is a must for anyone with inflamed gums. Anything that makes contact with your gums can cause you pain, so fine and soft bristles are always the best choice.

Use Sensitive Formula Toothpaste

The toothpaste marketed as “Sensitive Teeth Formula” contain special ingredients to help relieve sensitivity. When your gums are inflamed, even light brushing can cause some pain. Using a special toothpaste will help reduce that pain and make it easier to brush your teeth effectively. The effect becomes stronger as you use the toothpaste more, so use it for each brushing.

Visit Our Office

If your gums remain swollen for more than a few days or a week, set up an appointment with Dr. Tijen Lacin, Dr. Yan Wang, Dr. Debby Hwang, Dr. Alessandra Dagostin, Dr. Ronald Lechner, Dr. Young Kim, and Dr. Neha Kuthiala. There is a long list of conditions that could be causing your swollen gums, everything from gum disease to pregnancy, so you need to find out where your issue is coming from. Most of the time, Dr. Tijen Lacin, Dr. Yan Wang, Dr. Debby Hwang, Dr. Alessandra Dagostin, Dr. Ronald Lechner, Dr. Young Kim, and Dr. Neha Kuthiala can easily treat the swollen gum issue at our Ann Arbor, MI office, or can give you an effective treatment to take home.

It's a moment many of our patients have experienced. One second you're chewing on a piece of gum, then suddenly you forget to keep chewing and swallow the entire rubbery gob whole! It's at this point you remember your mother warning you as a child that if you swallow gum it will stake a claim and take up residency in your belly for seven years. Dr. Tijen Lacin, Dr. Yan Wang, Dr. Debby Hwang, Dr. Alessandra Dagostin, Dr. Ronald Lechner, Dr. Young Kim, and Dr. Neha Kuthiala and our team at Gentle Dental Associates hate to take all the fun out of the mystery, but the truth is that chewing gum, when swallowed, will enter your stomach and move through your digestive system just like any other piece of food. So, if you ever accidentally swallow a piece of gum, there is no need to worry!

That being said, it's important to know that gum does not have any dietary benefits, so while it’s not exactly harmful to swallow, you still want to avoid swallowing it. If you are an avid gum-chewer, we encourage you to chew sugarless gum, especially if you are wearing braces, because gum with sugar can lead to cavities. Sugarless gum still has the same amount of flavor, but has fewer cavity-causing ingredients. In fact, many brands contain an additive called xylitol, a natural sweetener known to fight cavity-causing bacteria. Xylitol is also known to increase salivary flow as it rinses away plaque and acid.

The fact is, when the bacterium in your mouth breaks down sugar, what’s left behind is acid. This acid eats away at the enamel coating of your teeth, causing holes that we call cavities. Cavities can lead to other long-term mouth problems if they are not treated in time, so it is best to try and avoid overexposing your teeth to too many harmful substances!

If you have any questions about chewing gum, please contact our office. Happy (sugar-free) gum chewing!

When you have dental issues or just need routine care, you may try to put off making an appointment at Gentle Dental Associates. Common reasons for procrastination are not having the time or fear of pain. Avoiding Dr. Tijen Lacin, Dr. Yan Wang, Dr. Debby Hwang, Dr. Alessandra Dagostin, Dr. Ronald Lechner, Dr. Young Kim, and Dr. Neha Kuthiala is not a good idea, though. Putting off dental care can turn small problems into large ones. Short appointments turn into long ones with significantly more work and expense.

What happens when you wait?

The small cavity that could have been filled easily has turned into a large cavity. The larger the cavity, the more work required to fill it. However, this is only a minor problem compared to more advanced issues. The minor toothache you are trying to ignore could be a small fracture or an abscess. Small fractures can sometimes be repaired, but if you wait and the fracture increases, you may need to get a crown.

An abscess can be treated in the early stages. Ignoring an abscessed tooth may lead to root damage and the need for a root canal. Infection can spread to other teeth, which multiplies the damage. These treatments will require more of your time than you would have spent taking care of the problem early.

Perhaps you are just putting off a routine cleaning. Even if you brush, rinse, and floss the way you are supposed to, you need a professional cleaning at Gentle Dental Associates. Plaque that is left behind hardens into calculus or tartar that you cannot remove by yourself. A build-up of calculus can also lead to gum disease.

Unfortunately, avoiding appointments due to a lack of time may mean that you have to give up substantially more time later on. You also can experience needless pain from tooth problems. It’s always best to visit Dr. Tijen Lacin, Dr. Yan Wang, Dr. Debby Hwang, Dr. Alessandra Dagostin, Dr. Ronald Lechner, Dr. Young Kim, and Dr. Neha Kuthiala for regularly scheduled cleanings and exams to ensure your smile stays healthy and beautiful.