Tell it Like it Is

Patients Deserve to Know the Truth

“Hi, Doc, it’s a new year for my dental plan, and I’ve got another $1,000 to spend. What do you recommend?”

“But Mr. Smith, that $1,000 is the total coverage for your entire family this year. Since there are four of you, and I’m sure you want each person to get a fair share, that leaves only $250 of coverage for yourself. That means that after deducting your two recare visits for the year, with in-office cleanings and x-rays, I can provide you with, maybe, $100 worth of treatment. Perhaps we can make you a custom nightguard so your wife won’t keep losing sleep while you grind your teeth at night, and you won’t keep breaking your teeth. And, I guess that means we’ll have to keep ‘watching’ that periodontal problem you and I have been talking about the last two years.”

Foolish! Ridiculous! You might say. Perhaps, but for some people the most influential obstacle to accepting optimal, complete health care is the minimal coverage given by their dental insurance plans. The doctor and staff are placed on the defensive by the insurer’s marketing strategies which promote their plans as “coverage for your dental needs.” While realizing that insurance is a valuable contribution to a person’s dental care expenses, it most certainly should not be the defining factor in one’s decision to go forward with appropriate and necessary treatment.

As your doctor, the dentist is the leader of your health care team. He possesses the knowledge, skill, and experience that will allow you, the patient, to reach your eighties continuing to enjoy your food and appearance. The insurance plan will be long forgotten. Hopefully, you will not be one of those whose remaining memory is of continuing to ‘watch’ that condition until you were faced with the horrendous choices about how to deal with what was once a small problem which spiraled out of control while you waited for your insurance to take care of you. The stark truth is that reliance upon insurance hyperbole is misplaced and can lead to making poor choices when it comes to your health.

You should want your doctor to share with you everything that he knows about your dental situation. You may not always like what you are going to hear. However, it is his professional responsibility to inform and educate you so that you are equipped to make wise choices about your health. You and your doctor, working together, can almost always find a way to manage the economic scenario so that it affords you the opportunity to choose optimal care. Don’t make the mistake of sacrificing your desire for long-term health on the altar of misplaced faith in the insurance industry.

The wise patient understands that he alone is ultimately responsible for his health over the course of life. Working together with your doctor towards the goal of optimal health is a prescription for a good life. The choices you make today have consequences for the life you live tomorrow.