Modern dental care

Nothing busts my budget like paying for dental care. My whole life I've only had dental insurance for about a year. During that year I saw a dentist every two weeks. Care was split between two different clinics that worked together to bring my teeth up to par. They didn't even look bad at the start of all this, yet I exhausted the lifetime allotment of that insurance plan. Considering my dad had dentures at age 14, I'm not doing too badly.

At her last dental visit my lovely wife discovered she was going to need more work than the local dentists could provide. She's scheduled to see two different specialists on the same day, 120 miles away. Since we no longer have insurance it's all going to be out of pocket.

It's expensive, but in long run it's worth it. Dental care has come a long way. Hopefully we can avoid having dental problems while traveling. Nothing ruins travel like a toothache. Two winters ago we had to take a break from sailing when my lovely wife broke a tooth while out on Cayo Costa Island in Florida. It's a long boat ride back to the mainland.

Good dental care is one of those things we'd really miss if it went away. I'm just happy when I can afford it. Taking care of your teeth means you have one less thing to worry about in a crisis situation. Imagine any sort of catastrophe and then imagine going through it with a killer toothache.

I did download a copy of “Where There is no Dentist.”

It's full of good information that might make your life easier. Keeping a few emergency dental supplies in stock can help a lot. It doesn't beat having a modern dental clinic, but it's a heck of a lot better than nothing.

I've talked to people who fly to Costa Rica to get major dental work done. The flight down, time in a hotel, and dental work, all cost much less than just the the dental work in the US. Maybe that's something to consider for the next time. As it is we are still waiting for our passports to come in.

-Sixbears