Proper dental care is of the utmost importance to having healthy teeth and gums throughout life. Studies show that fewer people are seeing the dentist regularly than ever before, and this could lead to public oral health crises if trends continue. While many people cite fear of the dentist, concerns over costs, and lack of dental insurance as the reasons they avoid dental care, some people simply do not visit the dentist because they cannot afford the cost of visits.
Americans are trying to cram more into their schedules than ever before. The average adult with children spends 8.8 hours per day working, 1.2 hours caring for their families, 1 hour caring for their homes and 1.1 hours preparing and eating meals. For those lucky enough to get 8 full hours of sleep per night, that leaves less than 4 additional hours of time per day. This free time often comes in the early evening and on weekends, when dental offices with traditional hours are generally closed. If people cannot schedule an appointment due to having a busy schedule, they are more likely to avoid the dentist and wait until they have a problem that can't be ignored to seek dental care.
Each year, 165 million hours of work time are lost in the United States because of people needing to seek out urgent dental care. Typically, tooth pain, loose fillings and other dental emergencies present symptoms that go ignored or show signs that a dentist may observe before a major problem occurs. When problems develop undiagnosed and without treatment, they can become very urgent, requiring more invasive and expensive care. There is also a risk that damage or infection could become so severe that an effected tooth cannot be saved.
Some dentists, like Dr. Davis, have come to see the need for a break from the traditional morning and afternoon schedules at their practices. Here at Randall L. Davis, DMD, PC, we are open until 7:00PM every weekday, until 4:00PM on Saturday and on Sunday until 2:00PM. Having these flexible hours allows patients to schedule appointments when their own schedules permit, when childcare is available and when they do not have work obligations. Our practice also has 24-hour emergency service available for urgent problems.
If you would like to schedule an appointment during any of our business hours or require emergency care, contact our office today.