Question: I went to the dentist the other day and I had no cavities which I though was good since I have not seen a dentist in many years prior to this point.  I was told by the dentist that I do have gum disease and that I need to see a Periodontist.

Why would I need to see a Periodontist?  I am not too sure what that is but I am guessing it has to do with my gums.  Why can not the dentist just do a deep cleaning that I thought you would get when people have gum issues.

I do not have dental insurance and I know if I go to one of those Periodontist people it will cost me way more then I can afford.   Is it really all that important that I go?  After all my teeth are just fine and my gums do not hurt me.

Reply: One thing you may want to keep in mind is that when you go to a dentist the dentist is not thinking about whether or not you can afford to do what they suggest to you.

The dentist is telling you only what he/she feel is the best thing for your oral health care. One would not refer you to a specialist if they did not believe that would be the best thing for you.

At some point you need to tell the dentist that you can not afford to go to a specialist right now so you need to do the next best thing.

The dentist may tell you how important it is to see a specialist, however if comes down to it they know it would be better for them to do what you can afford to have done then for you to do nothing at all.

Dentist are not mind readers if you do not explain to them what you can and can not afford to do then do not get upset because they are telling you something that is costly and you can not afford it.