Gone are the days when you went to your dentist to seek relief from cavities or toothaches. Thanks to better personal dental care, fluoride and regular preventive visits and treatments, the level of dental care has improved. Dentists base treatment on individual needs and try to provide the best dental care that is possible for each and every patient. Your dental health may be jeopardized if treatment decisions are based on what your dental plan may or may not cover or when and where the treatment is provided. Treatment Decisions Keeping up a routine of proper preventive dental health care and regular dental examinations allows for the early diagnosis of health problems by looking for potentially harmful problems like oral cancer.
Early detection can mean the difference between life and death.
The best way to control costs is to prevent the problems before they start. Canada's dental health is the envy of the world and is recognized to be the best by the World Health Organization. Albertans are benefiting from some of the best dental care in the world, but this situation may be in jeopardy. About 80 per cent of claims currently put through on dental benefit plans are for preventive procedures such as check-ups and cleaning. Managed care companies suggest that their new plans will not change the treatment patients receive, however, it is also suggested that current plans focusing on prevention may be too costly.