How to Find Affordable Dentistry

Need to get a filling, but avoiding the extra cost? It’s important not to delay as these little dental treatments are essential to preventing more severe problems such as root canals or abscesses. The good news is, you have options to make your visits to the dentist more affordable. Whether it is exploring more efficient health plans or having a discussion with your savage dentist and using a little negotiation, you can get quality care that is affordable. Here are a few quick tips to help you lower your dental costs.

Review Your Health Insurance Plan

Thanks to the Affordable Care Act (ACA), it is a requirement for health insurance to cover preventative dental care for kids as part of your health insurance package. Don’t have dental insurance right now? It may seem like an unreasonable added cost, but once you add dental insurance you may be eligible to receive subsidies on the coverage to help pay the higher premium. Unfortunately, the ACA requirement does not extend to adult dental care. Medicaid and Medicare do cover some emergency dental coverage, but this doesn’t help with regular coverage. Review your current insurance and see if you are eligible and able to add dental coverage to help lower costs.

Find a Dental School

If you have a University in town, it is worthwhile to visit the university dental school. All students need practice and these programs are usually looking for patients for basic visits and cleanings. This may seem odd, but all students are in the more advanced stages of training and are supervised by an experienced and qualify dentist. The dental schools offer services that are at a much lower cost than a professional office, even as much as half of what you are used to paying. The biggest step is finding an accredited dental school and using their services for uncomplicated routine dental work.

Research Local Discount Network Membership Options

If you don’t currently have health insurance through your employment and adding it doesn’t seem like an option, you can consider joining a discount network membership. You can expect to pay an initial membership fee (between $50 and $100) and then receive discounts with dentists up to 60% off of certain services. These brokered networks are a good low-cost option when traditional insurance is not on the table. The biggest hurdle with these memberships is doing your research to find a network that fits your needs and reading reviews.

Have a Conversation with Your Dentist

It can be a little painful but having a conversation with your dentist about your needs and your financial situation is not a bad idea. Often insurance companies only pay a portion of the total costs of services, however dentists may be willing to accept a lower amount because they know the insurance company will play the full amount quickly and not keep a standing bill. Another option is to offer to pay more upfront in cash if the total amount is lower. Many dentists will consider a discounted rate if the first installment is substantial and paid right away. Another option is the practice may have discounts available for individuals without dental insurance.

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