What do we do when we can’t afford to get our teeth fixed? For low income families, this is something that they deal with constantly. With not enough money to go around just for bills and food, how are they expected to be able to pay for dental insurance? If they can’t afford dental insurance, how can they afford to pay a dentist without it? No one should have to worry about losing their teeth and dealing with the daily pain of cavities, broken teeth, or worse.
A lot of times this occurrence is not just limited to low income families, but middle class families as well. Dental fees are very expensive, just to have an exam without insurance can cost you almost $300. Worrying about how they can pay for these bills, and worrying that they will never be able to get their teeth fixed, can lead to stress related health problems. What options are there for these families, are there any?
The first thing you need to do when going to a dentist is to check and see if their office does payment plans. These can help tremendously because you can pay the dentist out of pocket monthly instead of all at once. Because let’s face it, if you have to have one crown put on it will cost you somewhere around $1000 just for that one tooth. I don’t know about you, but I don’t usually have $1000 just laying around, I wish I did. Payment plans do not make your bill cheaper, but they can make it much more feasible for you to pay your bill.
Next, if your dentist doesn’t have payment plans you should call your local 211 number to see if there are any free dental clinics in your area. If you do not have 211 in your area, try calling the Department of Human Services and they should be able to let you know if there are any free dental clinics in your area. A free dental clinic is formed by dentists who would like to help the community out by giving their dental services for free. You will have to fill out applications and have proof of income. These are only for low income families.
Of course we should not forget about Medicaid. Dental services are free for children on Medicaid, you can go to your local Department of Human Services to get an application. Medicaid is for children from birth to age 18.
Another option for you might be to purchase a dental plan. This is NOT dental insurance. It is discount dental plan that some dentists take and these dentists agree to do the dental work at a discounted price. The best site I have found for dental plans has 30 different plans to choose from and when you pay for the plan it is activated for use 3 days later! This website is: http://www.dentalplans.com/. Once you purchase your plan, you can print out your card on your home printer when it is activated. Also with some of the plans you get discounted prescriptions, chiropractic and vision care. It is a wonderful site and I urge everyone who need dental insurance, but that doesn’t have enough money to pay for it to check out these dental plans.
If you are really desperate, call some of the local colleges that have dental schools. A lot of times these dental schools will do free work on people for practice. Sounds a little scary to me, but like I said if you are really desperate check them out.
I hope that soon there is a change in insurance policies, there are too many people in our day and age that cannot afford dental insurance or health insurance. Please look into some of the information I have provided you with if you are having problems with your teeth. Your teeth are the first thing people notice when you smile, you need your teeth to chew food. You should not have to live with the excruciating pain it can cause you, and the stress of worrying about losing your teeth. Please get help today!
