There are five major reasons that people do not get the necessary dental care they need. They are money, time, lack of concern, fear and trust. Let’s take a quick look at each one and see if any of them fit you and what dentists often try to do to overcome these obstacles for patients.
Although you may think that money would be the number one reason people avoid ideal dental treatment, it is not. Even in these tougher economic times, money, although a significant barrier for many is still not the number one issue for most. Yes, dental care in some cases can be a significant investment. With insurance industry’s unwillingness to raise the bar, as I have talked about in previous columns, patients often get stuck with large dental bills. Unfortunately, as of now, we have to face these facts and it does not mean avoiding the dentist.
Many dentists offer payment plans through third party carriers so patients can pay for treatment over an extended period of time. Ask your dentist if they have such an option. The point here is to get a plan. Once a plan is established, your dentist can work with you to prioritize and sequence your treatment. This way, if you need to spread your treatment over a period of time to make it affordable, you can pick away at a well thought out plan.
Time is an excuse. We all use time as an excuse for many of the things in our lives we want to avoid or procrastinate on. The reality is however, if we place something high enough in our value system there is always time for it. But, in order to move something higher up in our value system, we must be educated and come to realize that this particular thing is of benefit to us. This brings me to the most common reason people avoid ideal dental care.
Lack of concern about dental health is prevalent with a huge percentage of the population for a few reasons. Absence of pain is one. Other than “nerve gone bad” need for a root canal, there few things that actually cause pain. Take for example periodontal disease. About 75% of the population has some form of this disease but only 50% of the population goes to the dentist. Why? No pain. This doesn’t mean it is healthy and there are not problems down the road like loss of teeth. It is up to the dentist to educate patients on these types of issues, but people have to actually go to the dentist to get this information.
Some people have fear of going to the dentist….and for good reason, due to bad past experiences or bad information. However, dentistry today should be a comfortable experience most of the time. For those who are still fearful, there are different medications dentists can use to ease the experience.
The last barrier to ideal treatment is trust. For a patient to move forward with treatment, it is essential the patient both like and trust the dentist. Although I am sure that the skills of your dentist are important to you, I am willing to bet that you would not stay with a dentist that you did not like or trust. Find someone you can connect with and build a strong doctor-patient relationship.

If you are reading this column, the end of the world did not happen on December 21st and it’s time to think about the ways in which to improve our lives for 2013.
As readership has grown for The Town Common, I thought it was appropriate to re-publish this column so that new and old readers could benefit from this list. It is a great way to start a new year.
These 21 suggestions for success are authored by H. Jackson Brown, Jr. I have a framed picture of these hanging in my office and read them every day. I get comments about them all the time from people saying how much they like them. Cut this column out, hang it on your refrigerator and read it frequently.
1. Marry the right person. This one decision will determine 90% of your happiness or misery.
2. Work at something you enjoy and that’s worthy of your time and talent.
3. Give people more than they expect and do it cheerfully.
4. Become the most positive and enthusiastic person you know.
5. Be forgiving of yourself and others.
6. Be generous.
7. Have a grateful heart.
8. Persistence, persistence, persistence.
9. Discipline yourself to save money on even the most modest salary.
10. Treat everyone you meet like you want to be treated.
11. Commit yourself to constant improvement.
12. Commit yourself to quality.
13. Understand that happiness is not based on possessions, power or prestige, but on relationships with people you love and respect.
14. Be loyal.
15. Be honest.
16. Be a self-starter.
17. Be decisive even if it means you’ll sometimes be wrong.
18. Stop blaming others even if it means you’ll sometimes be wrong.
19. Be loyal and courageous. When you look back on your life, you’ll regret the things you didn’t do more than the ones you did.
20. Take good care of those you love.
21. Don’t do anything that wouldn’t make your Mom proud.
22. (my own) Strive for optimal health……and that includes dental health.