Issues with Dental Self-Diagnosing

When it comes to dental and/or medical care these days, two things are very common:

1. Many 20-somethings do not have dental insurance.
2. Those same 20-somethings will often revert to the Internet for a self-diagnosis rather than seek out the professional opinion of a doctor.

While we can understand the financial challenges of securing insurance for this age bracket, doing a self-diagnose is dangerous on many different levels. So, why shouldn’t you self-diagnose?

• Many of the sources being used for self-diagnosis are not legitimate websites but rather personal blogs meant to look like medical websites. Much of the information you find on these sites is nothing more than regurgitated information from other illegitimate medical websites. This should go without saying, but do not believe everything you read on the Internet!
• Have you ever heard the phrase, “Stress kills”? This is far from myth. What you may not realize, though, is you are more than likely adding stress to your life simply by not knowing what the real problem is. You may think you know but until a doctor actually tells you a real diagnosis, how can you be sure that toothache is not a sign of worse things to come?
• Finally, many variables go into a true diagnosis. These could be little things you did not realize were even there or something that when combined with what appears to be a simple toothache, is actually something more severe requiring immediate attention. For instance, sometimes heartburn is heartburn and other times it is a sign of a heart attack.

If you do not have insurance, we realize you may not want to run to the doctor or dentist for every small ailment. However, there is a major difference in minor discomfort to prolonged discomfort and pain. At the very least, seeing a dentist for what appears to be a minor toothache and receiving that exact diagnosis will give you peace of mind and allow you to avoid the stress that may lead to other conditions.

You should also know, if you do not have insurance, coverage such as the Wellness Dental Plan provides you affordable coverage at discounted rates. In fact, many people find they more than recover their annual fees with regular maintenance care. Depending upon the dentist and treatments, people often save as much as 20 percent off the regular costs of treatments such as bi-annual cleanings and checkups.

If you would like more information about the Wellness Dental Plan, click here.

*Photo Courtesy of Linda Tanner via Creative Commons License