As a biological dentist, I believe that the best insurance — and the best way to keep your dental costs down — is practicing holistic prevention.
Dental insurance, which pays for only a fraction of the treatments it covers, effectively functions like a discount program with administrative hurdles. You often face high out-of-pocket costs even under “good” dental plans. And when insurance drives decision-making, you may not get the level of care you truly need.
But delaying care “because insurance won’t cover it” is often the more expensive route to take. While it may cost a couple hundred dollars to treat a small cavity, if left untreated, it could turn into thousands of dollars to address the advanced decay, or ultimately replacement of the tooth with an implant.
Beyond maintaining good oral hygiene through things like brushing and flossing, here are five keys to maintaining a healthy mouth that supports your whole-body health:
- A nutrient-dense real-food diet. Focus on mineral-rich foods containing calcium and phosphorus, along with vitamins K-2 and D3. Include lots of fresh produce for the array of vitamins, antioxidants, and helpful phytochemicals they provide.
- Limit inflammatory foods. Forget the ultra-processed stuff with its refined sugars and starches. Reducing those foods starves the harmful bacteria in your mouth that cause decay and gum disease.
- Oral microbiome support. Consider oil pulling, alcohol-free herbal rinses, and probiotic support that sustain helpful oral bacteria without disrupting your mouth’s natural ecology.
- Stress management. Chronic stress fuels chronic inflammation and leads to things like teeth grinding, jaw clenching, and other problems that can hamper oral health.
- Regular dental checkups and cleanings. Professional cleanings are needed to remove the hardened plaque you can’t remove at home, while exams give us an opportunity to spot any emerging issues when they’re still minor and easy to treat.
Practicing prevention gives your mouth-body health the attention it deserves now and every day, not just when insurance dictates.
