Mounting dentist bills? Why don't you just Kenko? Your smile is precious! Take care of it, literally and metaphorically.
A major contributing factor to a beautiful smile is healthy and beautiful teeth, which in turn calls for good dental care. If you constantly find yourself dipping into your savings to meet dental expenses for yourself and your family members, you’re in luck. It’s high time you consider a health plan that covers dental care.
India’s Growing Oral Health Expenses
Let’s dive into some figures and data to understand the importance of making dental care a part of your health plan.
As per the data released by the Dental Council of India in August 2020, the country has approximately 2.78 lakh dental surgeons, implying that there is one dentist for every 5,000 people. This number is better than the World Health Organization’s recommendation of one dentist for every 7,500 people. However, only 10% of these dentists cater to 71% of our population living in rural areas, and the remaining 90% are available to the urban population. This disparity isn’t just unfair but also makes access to quality dental care harder for everyone not from urban areas.
It is also estimated that the annual expenditure on dental treatment in India ranges from Rs. 2254.28 to Rs. 7122.29. There are still an alarmingly high number of people suffering from oral diseases in the country. According to a systematic review published in 2018, 49.6% of children below 6 years of age in India had untreated dental caries, periodontal disease affects 85% of Indians, and India is considered to be the world capital for oral cancer.
According to the World Health Organization, in 2020, around 62.7% of the total healthcare spending by Indians was out-of-pocket. Dental expenses form a major contributor to this figure.
If this data doesn’t convince you to opt for a dental care plan, let us try harder and give you a few more reasons…
Unplanned Expenditure
In case of a toothache, you have to visit a dentist - sooner rather than later. A routine dentist trip is a couple of grand. And if you have to top it up with scaling, filling, or a root canal, it gets worse. One such episode can throw the monthly budget off for most middle-class families in India.
Also, many dental treatments are still out of bounds for most Indians. For example, a dental implant can cost between Rs. 15,000 to Rs. 1,00,000.
Wouldn’t it be nice if your health plan covered these unplanned expenditures and helped you save more in the long run?
Maintaining Oral Hygiene
Even if you don’t need to visit a dentist for a pressing issue, you will still spend money on your oral hygiene. This is an out-of-pocket expense. And this expense is increasing fast as medical inflation for 2021 stands at 14%, the highest in Asia.
You will have to pay more for everything from toothpaste to dental floss. As an example, a good electric toothbrush can cost you around Rs. 3,200 today. Considering the inflation cost is sustained at 14%, this price can increase to Rs. 11,800 in a decade. So choose wisely!
For Overall Health
Numerous reports suggest that oral health is very important for overall health. Certain diseases, such as diabetes and HIV-AIDS, lower the body’s resistance to infection, making the body more prone to oral health problems. Other diseases that can be linked to oral health are endocarditis, cardiovascular disease, pregnancy and birth complications, and pneumonia.
The mouth is the biggest opening of the human body, making it imperative to maintain good oral hygiene to keep bad bacteria from entering the system.
While access to good dental care is imperative to maintain your oral health, you need a healthcare partner to allow you to make the best of it without worrying about your budget going awry. That’s where our health plans come to the rescue.
Convinced and looking for the right plan? Get discounts on dental consultations, diagnostic tests, medicines, scaling, cleaning, filling, root canal, dental care products, and much more with Kenko. View our plans now.
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