In a recent
blog post, Dr. Allan Melnick stated that the state of dental care and
maintenance in the United States is alarming!
These are a few of the chilling statistics he quoted:
1. 16 million low-income kids did not
see a dentist last year
2. 25 percent of seniors (65 and up)
have lost all their teeth
3. 130 million Americans lack dental
insurance
4. 55% of Americans (2 and up) didn’t
see a dentist in the last year
5. 830,000 hospital ER visits in 2009
were linked to preventable dental conditions – a 16% increase in three years
6. 27% fewer people enrolled in dental
school in 2003 than in 1980.
7. Insurance is expected to cover only
about 48 percent of all dental expenditures by 2013, predicts the U.S. Centers
for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Eight percent ($10 billion) of all dental
expenditures will be covered by government aid. The other 44 percent will be
out-of-pocket expenses.
The poor economy and
unemployment have dragged on now for nearly a decade. We closely watch how we spend what little
money we have. Sadly, too many Americans consider dental care a luxury rather
than a necessity.
I had an uncle who
died from infections that began in his teeth, because he was afraid of dentists. So, in addition to the financial burden of
dental visits, many of us are fearful and avoid dentists altogether.
Dental work is
expensive. A standard teeth cleaning
costs, on average, $127, although depending upon where you live, it can be $75
to $200. Teeth cleaning often includes
dental X-rays and a dental exam. The
cost of that routine dental visit, therefore, may cost up to $300. If we happen to need a full-mouth deep cleaning, the cost will increase to
$500 or more. This is only for cleaning,
exam and x-rays for just one family member.
If you actually need dental work done, a root canal for
instance, it likely will cost $800 -
$1500. Or, if you need a crown,
you’ll spend
$700 and $1500. In today’s economy, many people simply cannot
afford the expense even if we know it is unwise to avoid it.
Some
people purchase dental insurance, paying $12 to $50 per month (or more) premium
per person. Even if you have dental insurance, there are
many limitations. Most policies limit
the policy holders to $1000 coverage per year.
So even if you have insurance, you may end up paying a great deal out of
pocket.
In
addition to the monetary limitations, dental insurance doesn’t necessarily
cover all services. Orthodontic and
cosmetic dentistry very often are not covered by insurance.
Fortunately,
there are alternatives to going without dental care and dental insurance. Discount Dental Plans, like Xpress
Healthcare, save their members 15% to 50% on their dental costs. Xpress Healthcare uses the Aetna Dental
Access network of providers, with over 90,000 dentists nationwide. There are no
limitations on the amount you can save, the number of visits, age or
pre-existing conditions. Everyone is accepted!
Here’s
the best part… Xpress Healthcare’s Premium plan is $19.95 per month per
FAMILY! And, this plan also includes
discounts on prescriptions, vision, hearing, medical supplies and
vitamins.
You
could possibly save hundreds of dollars for your family’s dental care while
paying less than $20 a month!
So,
what are you waiting for? Sign up for
your Xpress Dental Plan at http://ibourl.net/DiscountHealthAndDental, and then
go schedule your dental appointment!
