If I can share the biggest frugal living + health tip with you right now, it would be this: Take care of your oral health.
As a kid, I hated the dentist. That hatred carried over into my adult life. I had my wisdom teeth removed in 2005 and at that time was told that I had several cavities. I never bothered to have the cavities taken care of. Fast forward to 2009: My dad unexpectedly passes away. He wasn’t proactive about his health, and I wasn’t too keen on keeping myself healthy as well (i.e. regular physicals, blood work, dental cleanings, etc.). I started to wake up and put two and two together: Daddy died because he didn’t take care of himself. I’m not taking care of myself, so I’ll end up the same way. Not the best thoughts for someone in their 20s to have, but I have them every day.
So two months after my dad’s death, I made an appointment to see a dentist. From August 2009 until this morning, I have had just about every procedure in dentistry done to my mouth – a tooth pulled, fillings in every single one of my molars, deep cleanings, a root canal (that’s what I had this morning). I’m scheduled for a crown in the next month on the tooth that just underwent a root canal. I'm hoping I will be done with procedures for some time, aside from regular cleanings.
The bulk of my medical debt is from the care of my teeth. My teeth look amazing now! I have found a wonderful dentist who has worked with us to make everything as financially accessible as possible, while taking very good care of me. I know that proper oral health can play a role in your overall physical health. For me, it took great courage to go back to the dentist, but it’s a small price to pay for getting myself on a healthier road in life.
My advice to all of you is to take care of your teeth. Brush and floss regularly. Get your regular cleanings. If there is something wrong, please don’t be afraid to go to the dentist to have it checked out. Do not do what I did and wait until your dental bills reach $3,000. Had I taken care of things sooner, I would have saved so much more money.
If you have been needed to see a dentist, I encourage you to make an appointment as soon as possible. If you have anxiety issue with dentistry, find a dentist that practices conscious sedation. When I have had the major things done, I have paid the extra to undergo conscious sedation and it makes my time in the dental chair much more bearable.
Take care of your choppers.
Note: I am no medical professional. All of the above is pure opinion. I am not liable for anything someone may do to their teeth based on what I’ve said here. But I am serious about encouraging readers to visit their dentist if it has been a while since they have done so. For more reputable information, please visit The Mayo Clinic's page on oral health.
I haven't gone in 3-5 years - I do not feel anything wrong with my teeth, but you'll be glad to note that I made my appointment for February and will get things straightened around while I still have good insurance at work! Thanks for the post, excellent point. My ex had a similar situation with his oral health contributing to his debt, and I think you did a great job of explaining how to prevent this. :)
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you're going, seriously. :o) It's better to be safe than sorry. I hope everything goes well for you and all you need is a little fine tuning. I don't want anyone else to go through what I've gone through (physically and financially).
ReplyDelete