You can't avoid your teeth. If you don't care for them, eventually your gums will recede, you will get pockets of germs, and experience mineral loss.

Floss, toothpaste and toothbrushes are cheap at drugstores with coupons, (or free, if you beg your dentist for lots of samples). Committed tooth care can help, but you still need dentistry.

Cheap options? Not a whole lot out there in the first world. Here are some ideas:

- Cross the border to Mexico (from the states) - this happens a LOT, mostly in places like San Diego, Tuscon, Yuma...there is an entire Mexican industry servicing teeth in border towns.
- Get tooth care at a dentistry school (i've had xrays and cleanings for very little at the Flagstaff NAU dental school). Students are not the most gentle at this point in this career, but they are watched like a hawk by their mentors, an your teeth WILL be properly cleaned.
- Try alternative care, as in this preventative dentistry page on WiseBread.

What else? Ideas to share? DO yo ignore your teeth, set aside money each year for dentist care, or do something completely different?

Preventive care is key to keeping your dental costs down. We are examples of that. My husband neglected his dental care for years, except for very rare visits now and then. Oy, now he needs extensive reconstruction!

The dental school is a great idea, Jilly. But they only handle cleanings. Do they do fillings or extractions?

We've found a dentist who will work piecemeal for cash patients.

Hi Lori! I don't think they do anything but cleanings and xrays at dental schools. If anyone knows more, please update us here!

Piecemeal for cash is good - anything to help people pay for their teeth is a good thing. The best thing about living in the modern day is good dental care. It's probably the biggest reason why our life expectancies can potentially rise much higher than in prior generations.

Although according to this year's Biggest Loser, this is the first generation we've had where children are not expected to live longer than their parents have. They blame obesity.

All things being equal, we do have better teeth.

Yesterday I went to get a deep teeth cleaning, and that was NOT cheap. Maybe cheaper than losing my teeth and dealing with getting replacements...but you know what is the cheapest form of dental care?

Brushing and flossing! And now I know to add fluoride rinse to this list.

Be smart! Smart equals fugal. Make good habits now. Go floss.

You are *so* right about this, Jilly. And getting regular cleanings at the dentist.

I brush and floss!

Good girl, Lori! And yes, cleaning visits, while not cheap, are less expensive than the more involved dental work later.

It's all about setting out money for preventative items.

Like the Fluoride rinse. I've been very good at using it daily since the deep cleaning. I don't want another deep cleaning again!

I've been doing really good with my fluoride rinse (i even set my timer for 30 minutes after I rinse, so i can get the full benenfit from it by not eating or drinking). However, I'm not as good about flossing every day.

I have my little roll of floss here in front of me, ready to go.

Are other people good at flossing daily?

So i did floss last night...and i should do it again now...

And, done! Did my rinse too.

Are you guys flossing?

I did my rinse, but for some reason it is like pulling teeth to get me to floss.

hehe...see what I did there?

That is actually a little scary. Okay, flossing now!

I've been really good about flossing and using my rinses since I got back home to AZ. Mt goal is to loss once a day, every day.

I know there will be some days I miss that, but it is good to have a goal.