So you got a mailer coupon from a dentist that says they
only charge $49.95 for a regular cleaning & $19.95 for an exam &
x-ray. Seems kind of a cheap
gimmick? And a lot of the times it might
be, it just depends
on the practice. If it’s a mature
practice you might want to question why they are giving away services. Usually, it’s a loss leader, something they
use to get you in and pressure you into other dental procedures.
If it’s a new
practice, then providing discounted services is one of the few methods a
new practice has to introduce itself to the surrounding community, no different
than a new restaurant trying to showcase its menu. The genuine intent is to build a relationship
by showcasing the practice.
Dental costs will vary widely, depending on
where you go and the quality of the practice you see. With respect to
continuing care (on your next 6 month visit), a teeth cleaning charge is going
to range somewhere around $65 to $89, but it can be more if there’s a need to
do a full mouth root scaling. Often dental insurance will
cover some or all of this cost for a specific number of cleanings per year. The exam is $45 to $55 and the 4 basic
bite wing x-rays are around $59 to $72.
Depending on your insurance this might be covered anywhere from 60 to
100% after a small deductible is met.
Periodic X-rays ($32 -$135) are needed to see if any problems are
developing inside the teeth or around the jaw bone, and are generally required
before cleaning the teeth of a new patient (which is why some practices offer
coupons to defray the initial cost of a first visit). These are also often
covered by dental insurance.
The main goal of professional
teeth cleaning is to prevent gum disease, which is the primary cause of
tooth loss. Dental hygiene
is imperative, and cleaning your teeth is the first step toward their long term
preservation. In a standard
cleaning, a dental hygienist (working under a dentist's supervision) removes
soft plaque and hard tartar (mineralized plaque that builds up on the teeth and
can only be removed with professional instruments) from above and below the gum
line on all the teeth. The process requires one office visit and usually takes
about 30 to 60 minutes.
The more extensive deep cleaning process called scaling and
root planing is done by quadrants (upper right, upper left, lower right, lower
left) at a cost of about $100 -$400 per quadrant depending on the
severity of the problem or $400 -$1,600 for the entire mouth,
but more often than not, if the mouth is in such poor health the dentist will
refer the patient out to a periodontist. Most dental insurance includes these
procedures.
Again, the goal is a healthy mouth which an integral part of
your overall health. Oh, and by the way,
just because you had your teeth cleaned professionally, the jobs not done. You have to do your part and brush and floss
daily if you want to keep them. If you
have additional questions, feel free to email or call our office. Our goal here is to create
an informed patient.
Novy Scheinfeld, DDS, PC
290 Carpenter Drive, 200A
Atlanta (Sandy Springs), GA 30328
404-256-3620
www.rightsmilecenter.com
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