Prevention is dull, unrewarding to sell, and comfortably the best value in medicine. The arithmetic is not subtle.
The economics of prevention are unusually clear, which makes it strange how hard it is to persuade anyone to buy it. A filling costs a fraction of a root canal, which costs a fraction of an implant. That is the same tooth at three stages of neglect.
The pattern repeats across medicine
Treated blood pressure is vastly cheaper than a stroke. Managed early diabetes is cheaper than a foot ulcer. A childhood asthma plan is cheaper than repeated admissions.
In each case the cheap intervention happens while nothing appears to be wrong, which is exactly why it gets skipped.
Families gain more than individuals
Habits are set at home. Children who see routine appointments treated as normal keep attending as adults, and the cost of one missed decade of dental care compounds for the rest of a life.
What to actually do
Put the recurring appointments in a calendar rather than relying on remembering. Ask for the recall interval in writing. Book the whole family in one visit where the clinic allows it, because the logistics are what defeat most good intentions.
Placeholder article written for a template. General information only, not medical advice, and not reviewed by a clinician.
