I visited the dentist today for my regular check-up. Once again I was reminded that sometimes spending a few dollars can save you hundreds. Flossing your teeth every day is an excellent way to prevent tooth decay and gum disease. Fillings and periodontal care are expensive, dental floss is cheap. According to this article, buy the floss you prefer, because type of floss doesn’t matter, it’s frequency that counts!
If you want to make sure you are flossing properly check out this video my friend (whose husband is a dentist) recommended.
Spend the money and the time and floss your teeth every day.
How do you spend to save?
For more frugal tips visit Life as Mom.
{ 14 comments… read them below or add one }
To take the dental thing further –
Get your teeth cleaned regularly. It takes a few cleanings to be as expensive as one filling.
In the same line, get those cavities filled quickly. A filling is cheaper than a root canal, fake tooth, bridge, or dentures!
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Billberry herbal tea helps heal and prevent perodpntal disease….. I drink it all the time so that I don’t have to go to the dentists…I have had really BAD exp’s w/them.
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Most people don’t realize that you’re not only preventing cavities and periodontal disease with flossing, but you’re also preventing INFECTION from entering your bloodstream. Periodontal disease is nothing to wink at. It can lead to worse things that most don’t even know about. Look it up. Then go out and buy that big container of floss and use it! Besides it will make your breath fresh, too. All the mouthwash in the world won’t cover up the foul odor accompanied by diseased gums.
Sorry. I’m off my soapbox now. I’m a former Certified Dental Assistant and I just can’t help myself…
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Have you ever talked to Mr. Teter about this? He said that flossing is better for you than brushing!!!! He would know
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I keep trying to get my kids to floss properly and I think I will have them check this out. Maybe coming from someone else it will have more impact!
I gave you an award today! Come and get it!
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Zellies! http://www.zellies.com
I don’t have any connection except I went there and now I follow her routine. I haven’t flossed in a year and my dentist/hygienist is very impressed with my teeth. I might even get to go back to twice a year cleanings next time (from every four months…sigh). Her routine deals with the cause of plaque – not just scraping it off and your mouth feels great – even waking up in the morning! Ok, off my soapbox.
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Toni, I couldn’t agree more. I wrote a post about Why Flossing is Frugal after a recent root canal.
http://kingdomfirstmom.com/2009/06/why-flossing-is-frugal.html
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Thanks for the reminder!
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My eight year old son started orthodontics today. A few weeks ago when discussing the upcoming charges with the billing dept. I was offered a monthly payment plan. I declined and asked if I could have a discount for paying the entire $2,000 upfront. The lady was surprised but agreed to give me 10% off. In a year or two I will have to pay 4,500 for the next (and final:) phase and I intend to get 10% off then as well. Pay with cash, IN FULL and avoid payment plans. Always ask for a discount when paying upfront. The worst they can say is “no”.
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TheHappyHousewife Reply:
November 14th, 2009 at 12:35 am
We did the same thing with my daughter’s braces. We paid cash and got a discount. I have to have my wisdom teeth pulled and will also get a discount for paying with cash.
Great point Serenity!
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I am a dental hygienist in San Jose, CA. I work full time seeing eight patients a day. Just going by my office experience, I would have to disagree with the Crest article. I have never seen a good result from Glide floss. It is too slick and smooth and does not remove as much plaque as waxed floss. If a patient really likes Glide because it doesn’t fray and is easy to get between the teeth, I tell them they must scrape up and down the side of the teeth twice as many times as you would do with regular floss. (8-10 vs. 4-5). This is just my clinical observation after 10 years of experience.
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yes, I agree, it’s like investing. You spend less when you invest on cheaper and alternative ways.
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For people who have large hands or have problem flossing, check out the dental flosser that looks like a toothbrush but has a little (replaceable) floss strip. Just like your toothbrush, you can move and turn inside your mouth much easier than with your fingers. My whole family now uses these. You can find them at Walmart.
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How do I spend to save? We have memberships at Massage Envy. It seems luxuriant, but with our chronic health problems, massage therapy is a lot cheaper than visiting a specialist!
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Definitely need to do more of this in my family. Dental bills can be crazy!
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