Don't let worries about the economy keep you from taking care of your teeth.

RODALE NEWS, EMMAUS, PA—As the economy takes a nosedive, a new study suggests that preventive dental visits may follow suit. And in no way can that ever be considered a good thing—for our smiles or for our overall health.

THE DETAILS: The study authors used monthly data on dental visits and unemployment in the Seattle and Spokane, WA, areas from 1995 to 2004. In the Seattle area, they found that an increase of 10,000 in the number of unemployed individuals was accompanied by a 1.24 percent decrease in the number of preventive visits by members of one dental insurance provider. In the Spokane area, the drop in preventive dental visits was greater, falling 5.95 percent. “Even people with insurance were less likely to go to the dentist for checkups during times of high community unemployment,” notes health insurance specialist Brian C. Quinn, PhD, program officer at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation in Princeton, NJ, and lead author of the study.

WHAT IT MEANS: Depressing news about bankruptcies and big-business bailouts may have us all tightening our belts, but skipping dental visits now is likely to cost you more later. Quinn points out that previous research has documented the importance of preventive dental care in reducing the need for more invasive, costlier procedures.

Here’s how you can protect your dental health: