Here’s a conundrum of modern health care: A study of child dental services in Alabama found that preventative dental visits actually increase the amount of money spent on an individual child’s dental care. This was because, while the preventive services did lower the cost of subsequent non-preventive care, the cost of the preventive care was greater than the savings. So, financially speaking, preventive care may not be worth it. Of course, there are other considerations, like making sure your kid doesn’t have holes in their teeth.