Dental diseases are universal. Nearly every man, woman and child will experience some aspect of these diseases during their lifetimes. Most dental diseases do not heal without intervention.
They are chronic, progressive and destructive over time. That’s why it is critical that individuals with unmet dental needs within the U.S. health care system obtain timely and cost-effective treatment. It will save lives and save money.
Each year, millions of productive work hours are lost due to dental diseases. Dental disease is one of the leading causes of school absenteeism for children.
• Workers lose 164 million work hours because of dental disease
• Children miss 51 million hours of school due to dental problems
• Oral-related illnesses account for 3.6 million days of bed disability, 11.8 million days of restricted activity and 1 million lost school days
The bottom line is lack of dental treatment will cost you!
Every American should receive the care necessary to promote good oral health. Most dental diseases are preventable and early dental treatment has proven to be cost effective. For example:
• Preventive care and early detection and treatment saves $4 billion annually
• Children who receive preventive dental care early in life have lifetime dental costs that are 40 percent lower than children who do not receive this care
• The cost of providing preventive dental treatment is estimated to be 10 times less costly than managing symptoms of dental disease in a hospital emergency room
With an estimated 85 million Americans are without dental insurance, how do you pay for dental care?
One example is Care Credit. Care Credit is a healthcare credit card that can be used as a payment option for certain expenses not covered by insurance. Care Credit is offered primarily for dentistry, vision correction, veterinary medicine, hearing care, cosmetic treatments and surgery.
Care Credit is a simple way to consolidate and manage certain out-of-pocket healthcare expenses. Care Credit is a credit card with a revolving line of credit that can be used repeatedly and for any family member. Care Credit offers two basic payment plans to meet an individual’s financial needs.
One plan is a zero interest plan for 3, 6, 12, 18 or 24 months that charge no interest when account holders make their required minimum monthly payment and pay off the remaining balance within the promotional period. This is the most popular plan with more than half of their customers selecting this option.
The second plan is an extended payment plan for 24, 36, 48 or 60 months. This plan carries a competitive interest rate along with a longer term fixed monthly payment.
In addition, Care Credit has no annual fees. Once you are approved, you may use your Care Credit card for yourself, any member of your family or your pets.
Sources:
Anastasia L. Turchetta RDH, www.AnastasiaRDH.com, http://twitter.com/AnastasiaRDH
http://www.rollcall.com
www.carecredit.com
Journal of Dental Education
Delta Dental
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MC Ortega is the former publicist for the late Walter Payton and Coca-Cola. Ortega is a senior communications and messaging executive specializing in media relations, social media, program development and crisis communications. Also, Ortega is an avid traveler and international shopper. Ortega resides with her partner, Craig, dog, Fionne and extensive shoe collection. Ortega also enjoys jewelry design/production and flamenco dancing.