Choose Dental Health NOT Insurance

Health insurance is a topic familiar to many, and varies from individual to individual. Providers are different, coverage fluctuates, and co-pays change as well. However, it is always important that the health of you and your family remains our number one priority.

Dental Emergency Care

An injured tooth, like any emergency situation, often presents an unexpected expense and financial hardship. It’s important to keep perspective and ensure your primary focus remains the danger it places on your body and health, not your wallet. Dental complications, like many health conditions, are degenerative; meaning, they get worse the longer you ignore treatment. Failing to address an ailment stresses the body and almost always increases the financial cost of treatment as the severity of the damage escalates. Using the example of a broken tooth, what may originally be a quick dental restoration can easily turn into an infection, decay, or cause a loss of the tooth entirely. A lost tooth results in replacement costs, and if those are ignored, can spiral into the migration or infection of the surrounding teeth. It’s easy for simple injuries to spiral into much more serious situations when treatment is neglected.

“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”

You’ve likely heard this before, but clichés are clichés for a reason. The ounce of preventative and immediate treatment can save you a pound of further health problems, and a pound in your wallet. We care about your health and cost effective treatment options. Our office will never surprise you with unexpected bills, and we will always work with you to ensure you understand your treatment, the significance of receiving it, and the costs. If you require a treatment that presents a financial hardship, talk to us. Where possible, we will explore alternate treatment plans or discuss other solutions to ensure you are not placed in a difficult position. We do this while always keeping your health as our number one priority.

When it comes to ensuring the longevity of your health, communication is key. Don’t stay quiet about concerns of any kind – health, financial, or other: we are your health care partner and here to serve you.

Dr. Gregory Olsen
Folsom Oral Surgery And Implant Center

2370 E. Bidwell, Suite 130Folsom, CA 95630Phone: 916-983-6637

Common Dental Myths Debunked

Facts About Dental Myths

With the magnitude of information available to us these days, it’s harder than ever to separate facts from myths; especially when it comes to your health. There are a million dental related myths that might steer you in the wrong direction when it comes to a healthy smile. It’s important to be informed and know the facts. Here are a few common dental myths, followed by the facts.

Oral Hygiene Only Affects Your Teeth

Many people hear the phrase “oral hygiene” and they think of the simple act of brushing or flossing. While oral hygiene is important for keeping your teeth healthy, poor oral hygiene can be linked to several other health problems- including heart disease. Taking care of your mouth actually means taking care of a lot of things within your body. Untreated periodontal disease contributes to more low birth weight babies than both drinking and smoking combined.  Having poor oral hygiene can cause a multitude of problems- not all of them related to your teeth.

You Shouldn’t Get Your Wisdom Teeth Out Until They Start to Hurt

Typically, it’s always better to be safe than sorry, and your dentist will generally advise you of the same. If you wait for your wisdom teeth to become painful, they might have already done other damage to your gums or teeth. Many people believe that as long as they have no pain, there’s no reason to have an unnecessary surgery. In rare cases, wisdom teeth can stay intact as long as they are not interfering or causing damage. One of the most common reasons to remove wisdom teeth is because they are so difficult to keep clean and rather than incurring costly repairs to those teeth many dentists will suggest having them removed.  Frequent exams are necessary in this case to monitor and maintain your health. It’s generally better to have your wisdom teeth removed before any pain, rather than take the gamble.

White Teeth Are Healthier Teeth

Teeth are actually not meant to be pure white. Tooth color can vary widely, for example, depending on your race, pigmentation varies greatly.  Also, as you get older, your teeth will naturally take on a more faded color as things do with time, however they can still be perfectly healthy. A color beyond a light yellow could be cause for concern, but generally the pinkness of your gums is a better indication of oral health as opposed to how white your teeth are.

If Teeth Look Healthy, and Are Not Hurting, There is No Reason to Visit a Dentist

The most common mistake people make regarding their dental health is skipping regular preventive visits because they do not see or feel any problems. Even in the absence of a visible problem or discomfort, regular visits for x-ray exams, cleaning and necessary restorative care are necessary to maintain your teeth and gums for life. Discovering diseases in the mouth earlier rather than later will typically reduce cost, recovery time and severity of dental treatment that may need to be performed.

It’s important to educate yourself on the facts surrounding whole body health and well-being. Muddled information and common misperceptions can leave people confused. The best way to combat myths and augment dental health is to see and speak with your dentist regularly. Have open dialogue and productive conversations about what is and is not true. Being informed, savvy and educated will keep you and your dentist smiling.

Dr. Gregory Olsen

Folsom Oral Surgery And Implant Center

2370 E. Bidwell, Suite 130

Folsom, CA 95630