She is also a clinical instructor at University of Pacific School of Dentistry and an editor for Dentistry On-Line. Dear Tom, First, I must advise you not to wait until you have an emergency before you visit the dentist. If you do wait until an emergency, most procedures will be more costly in terms of time, discomfort, and money.
Preventative care is much more cost effective.
If you go to the dentist on a regular basis, small problems can be dealt with before they become bigger, more expensive problems. These costs include malpractice insurance premiums, equipment, infection control procedures, lab fees, employee salaries, taxes, rent, utilities, filing insurance claims, phone bills, continuing education courses, licensing fees, advertising, and many other items which contribute to our overhead costs. Disposable items, which must meet strict infection control guidelines, are especially expensive. Dental fees do vary geographically. The fees may be correlated to the cost of living in a particular region.