Many Americans are not going for essential visits to their dentist due to high cost. The most affected are working-age adults of which 13 percent reported skipping their dental appointments because of the price tag.
Even for people with private insurance, cost was the main reason they didn’t go for regular dental care. Study author Marko Vujicic said, “It seems like medical insurance is doing a better job at protecting consumers from financial hardship than dental insurance. Anything beyond checkups, like getting a cavity filled or a root canal and a crown, you’re looking right away at 20 to 50 percent coinsurance.”
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Typical filling fees range from $86 to $606, root canals between $511 to $1,274, and $309 to $1,274 for a crown, based on the 2013 American Dental Association’s (ADA) Health Policy Institute survey.
Although over the years, cost as a reason to avoid the dentist has been cited less often, there are still many Americans avoiding a trip to the dentist due to high cost. Needless to say, this can have negative health implications.
It’s important that employers offering dental plans to their workers emphasize the value of dental care as it spans beyond just oral health. Poor dental hygiene can lead to a host of different health complications, resulting in missed work and reduced productivity.
The researchers believe that instead of paying per procedure, dental benefits should give the dentists an incentive to care for patients’ overall oral health.
Emily Lunardo studied medical sociology at York University with a strong focus on the social determinants of health and mental illness. She is a registered Zumba instructor, as well as a Canfit Pro trainer, who teaches fitness classes on a weekly basis. Emily practices healthy habits in her own life as well as helps others with their own personal health goals. Emily joined Bel Marra Health as a health writer in 2013.
