Justified: Spending Money on Dental Treatment

You shouldn’t have to justify spending money on dental treatment. However, there is a slight stigma attached to spending money in this way that we’d like to tackle. Some people assume, perhaps because a baseline of care is available subsidised by the NHS, that paying for treatment is a sign of vanity. In fact, nothing could be further from the truth. There are both cosmetic and functional reasons for seeking treatment with us. Both are cited by our patients and, truthfully, there is seldom one without the other.

‘Cosmetic’ Reasons 

We wrote about the confidence-crippling effects of advanced periodontal disease last week. For now, imagine the simpler scenario of losing a central tooth. Doesn’t matter how. Think how that would affect you. You might be embarrassed to smile. You might notice a whistling sound when you talk that didn’t used to be there. It should be clear that seeking treatment to replace this tooth isn’t just a ‘cosmetic’ decision.

If you looked at the options for treatment available to you and saw that a dental implant was a possibility, would you consider that you were spoiling yourself? Hardly. In this instance, improving the look of your smile may be considered ‘cosmetic’ but you are getting so much more: like the ability to feel unselfconscious in public.

Functional Reasons

The mouth is a multifunctional organ of the human body. Amongst other things, we use our mouths to eat and talk and kiss. Sore gums and missing teeth can severely impact on the functionality of the mouth. If there is one thing that our patients thank us for time and again, it is for restoring the functionality of their mouths.

Looked at in this way, you start to realise that (Hollywood aside) paying for dental treatment is not a mark of vanity at all. Your oral health is essential to your wellbeing and ultimately to your survival – why wouldn’t you give it the very best treatment available?

At Norfolk Dental Specialists, our clinicians have reached the heights of their disciplines. We provide specialist treatment to patients referred to us. We also help with the training of other dentists. If you would like information on any of our procedures, please visit the treatment pages of our website. If you have any further questions, please don’t hesitate to call our reception on 01603 632525.

Download our information sheet: ‘All you need to know about dental implants.’