So you see an offer of $49.95 for a cleaning, exam &
x-ray. Is it a lost leader? More than likely, YES. If it’s a mature practice you might want to
question why they are giving away services because it costs them more than that
to deliver the services. So one would
speculate that it’s a loss leader used to get you in and pressure you into additional
or unnecessary dental procedures?
On the other hand, 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.
A teeth cleaning
charge is going to range somewhere around $65 to $89.[1]
Often dental insurance will cover some or all of this cost for a
specific number of cleanings per year, usually no more than two. The doctor’s 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 commonly covered by dental insurance.
The main goal 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 towards preserving them. In
a standard cleaning, a dental hygienist removes soft plaque and hard tartar
from above and below the gum line on all the teeth. The process usually requires
one visit and takes about 30 to 60 minutes.
If you’ve neglected to take care of your teeth, you may be
at higher risk for losing them and require a deep cleaning. This more extensive 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. This is where you run into
problems with ‘couponing dentists’.
More often than not, you’re going to hear that you need a deep cleaning
and the cost to your insurance company or you goes up.
Again, your 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 by brushing
and flossing daily if you want to keep them. If you have additional questions, feel free to email or call our office.
As a part of our services, we offer
additional consultation and oversight by our in-house periodontist. Our goal here is to
create an informed healthy patient.
Novy Scheinfeld, DDS, PC
290 Carpenter Drive, 200A
Atlanta, GA 30328
404-256-3620
Related
Articles
[1] However, depending on how long it’s been since you have
been to the dentist and what extent your oral healthcare has been neglected, it
can be more if there’s a need to do a full mouth root scaling.
No comments:
Post a Comment
We hope you find something useful in our blog. But if not, email us and maybe we can answer your questions.