Critiquing the Report - Part II
Last week I discussed some of the issues that were presented in a recent U.S. News & World Report which featured seven pages of information on dentistry. I will finish reviewing and critiquing those issues this week.
One of the columns in this section of the report entitled, “Guarding Kids’ First Choppers”, mentions that childhood tooth decay is “the most prevalent chronic disease in children”. This is true. According to the report, 28 percent of preschoolers have dental decay. In my 12 years of practice I have seen an increase. This is due to poor dietary habits and poor oral hygiene. This increase is not only in preschoolers but right through high school.
However, the column goes on to say that “dental visits should begin no later than a child’s first birthday”. Personally, I think that in general this is a little early. Parents should closely inspect their children’s teeth. If there is anything that is seen that is not tooth-colored or doesn’t look right, the child should be seen by a dentist. Otherwise, I recommend the first visit at the age of three. Of course if you ask a pediatric dentist they will want to see them earlier.
Another column in the report entitled, “The Wisdom on Wisdom Teeth”, says “the latest data suggests that as many as 80 percent of people will develop problems with their wisdom teeth”. This is true. In most people, wisdom teeth either will not fit with all of the other teeth in the mouth or they erupt crowded. This may not cause a problem right away, but because they are difficult to clean, they either get decay or cause periodontal problems with the neighboring teeth. The current line of thinking in the oral surgery world is to remove these teeth between the ages of 16-18 or before the roots are fully developed. This generally makes for a much less traumatic surgery.
The last of the columns I wish to discuss is entitled, “Taking the Cost Out of the Bite”. This column discusses what to do if you don’t have dental insurance. One of the suggestions is “to consider purchasing an individual dental policy” and the other is to look for discount programs which “give members 10 to 60 percent off at certain providers”. This is tricky. If you don’t get dental insurance from your employer or are not covered under a spouse’s plan, you really have to look at the numbers and also at what you are entitled to with particular plans.
The cost of purchasing your own indemnity dental insurance plan usually outweighs the benefits. Most, if not all, dental insurance plans have annual maximums which average $1000 per year. You pay the premium to the insurance company, which might be $750 a year, but then you only get $1000 in benefits. It may make sense for families but usually not individuals. As far as the “discount plans” the column refers to – this is a buyer beware. These plans force you to choose a dentist from a list and this list is usually not very long. If a dentist is willing to accept 50% of their normal fee for a procedure, consider the quality of care you will be getting.