Back to the Dentist

I started a fresh year of dental benefits today. Tech-MBA followers will note that I exceeded my annual benefits last year with two cleanings, 3 cavities and a root canal. This year I am certainly more committed to my dental health. In fact the carryover two cavities were re-fills of amalgam cavities that had shown only slight decay. The trip was still $XXX out of pocket, but not the end of the world.

This year I also have the relative security of the high dental option which will pony up $1500 in benefits if my dental health continues its death spiral. I was actually quite relieved that my X-rays did not show anything new. I just need to hang on until my next cleaning in August.

The biggest change has been disciplined brushing and/or oral rinse in the evenings. This is something I did haphazardly, based upon mouth feel going to bed. Now it is a habit and on the occasional night when I let it go there is a reason. I may also consider the investment in an electronic tooth brush. My wife has used one for years and while the hygienist suggested sharing, I would rather just have my own.

However coming off the 2 cavity co-pay, I decided to hold off on picking up a $150 toothbrush. The other obvious reason is that I just got another free standard toothbrush from the dentist. Not only will this thing monitor my brushing habits, it even sends out alerts when I am brushing too hard. On the upside nobody pays retail. The Oral B Triumph can be found on Amazon.com for $105 and my dentist’s office says I can get one through them for $85.