A dental check-up and cleaning can leave you feeling great: confident and ready to share your smile.
But for a Texas boy, one dental visit turned him from nearly nonverbal into a typical chattering 6-year-old.
Mason Moyz of Katy, Texas, had barely been able to communicate all his short life. His parents blamed a brain aneurysm he suffered as an infant. Then, during a regular appointment, his dentist noticed a band of tissue under his tongue was too short and attached in the wrong place. After a 10-second procedure, Mason was talking almost normally by that afternoon.
The amazing story recently made national headlines — and obviously changed Mason’s life forever — but there’s another angle too important to overlook: It’s a prime example of how important dental exams and regular dental care are for all of us, children included.
Parents often suffer from several misconceptions about dental care for young children. “Common oral problems can turn into serious health conditions when ignored,” says Amy Marko, senior vice president of dental products and professional relations for Starmount and Unum. “Many of the major dental procedures performed on toddlers and young children could have been less severe or even avoided with proper preventive dental care and oral hygiene.”
The same applies to adults who may avoid or postpone regular dental care due to fear of pain — especially when the bill arrives. But there’s no reason to miss out on this essential health service when there are many options for affordable dental insurance.
If your employer offers dental coverage, your upcoming fall benefits enrollment is the perfect time to make sure you’re covered. If your employer offers more than one dental plan, compare plans and costs carefully to make sure you and your family have the right type and amount of coverage for your needs.
Your next dental check-up may not have the miraculous outcome Mason’s did — but it’s almost guaranteed to leave you with a brighter smile.
