Balanced: Money Saving Tips for Maintaining Dental Health

For some people, the phrases "Say 'cheese!'" "Smile!" or "Show me those pearly whites!" are intimidating. Teeth are a sensitive subject, even when they aren't sensitive themselves. Crooked, chipped or yellowed teeth are not just a physical concern to those who live with them, they can also lead to emotional issues that deserve attention. Oftentimes the attention teeth deserve is incredibly expensive; braces, veneers and professional bleaching can run hundreds, even thousands of dollars.

There are ways, however, you can avoid spending a year's salary to make your teeth grin-worthy.

The quickest, cheapest, easiest and most common ways to keep your teeth (and gums) healthy is to brush and floss them daily. Everyone should brush their teeth (tongue and gums, too) twice a day. It's even better if you can commit to brushing after every meal or sugary drink. Proper brushing removes plaque from your teeth and gum line (gingivitis is known to raise your blood pressure) as well as keeping your breath smelling fresh.

Flossing, an added, and seemingly more dreaded step in dental care is also a recommended daily chore. As bothersome as flossing can be, the removal of that plaque from between your teeth and gums is crucial to avoiding periodontal disease and gingivitis. The use of mint-flavored dental floss can also add to your breath freshening.

When it comes to toothbrushes and toothpaste, there are so many choices available, you can find your perfect match with a little searching. For me, it's crucial that I have a soft-bristled, small-head toothbrush and toothpaste that isn't too minty. For a friend of mine, she likes a soft-bristled, large-headed toothbrush and an all-natural toothpaste. My boyfriend? He buys whatever's on sale and it works for him. (Tune in next week to learn about electric versus manual toothbrushes!) Do a little experimenting and find a combination that you like so that you're more apt to use the tools.

How cheap is keeping your teeth clean?

Well, in a year, the average person uses:

• 12 tubes of toothpaste - Note: you only need a pea sized amount of toothpaste, you don't have to cover all the bristles! (($1 - $5 each) :: $12 - $60/yr)
• 4 toothbrushes - change your toothbrush every three months or after an illness like a cold or the flu (($1 - $5 each) :: $4 - $20/yr)
• 3 containers or floss - dentists recommend you use 18-inches per floss, most containers of floss include 55 yards which leads you to 110 days of flossing, give or take a few (($2 - $4 each) :: $6 - $12/yr)

So it costs between $24 and $92 a year to keep your teeth clean and healthy.

Filling just one cavity can run you twice that much if you're uninsured. If five minutes a day can save you $100 a year, why aren't you doing it?

When Sarah's not writing for Savings.com, she's sitting in a tall chair in a construction consulting firm either editing requests for proposals or calculating cashflows on hundred-column Excel spreadsheets. You can also find Sarah at WEGO Health as the Women's Health community leader or writing at her personal blog, Sarahndipitea.