According to one study, about 60% of people have dental anxiety.
If you don’t suffer from dental anxiety, you may be more anxious about the cost of going to the dentist.
If you aren’t sure how to afford dental visits because you don’t have dental insurance, keep reading to learn tips on how to save and find affordable dentists!
Table of Contents
Find a Non-Profit
If you don’t have much income, there are a lot of nonprofit organizations that are dedicated to helping you find the dental care you need. For example, Dentistry from the Heart is a great example.
Dentists volunteer their time and equipment to this organization and provide treatment to patients who may not be able to afford it otherwise.
Public Dental Clinics
There are also public dental clinics that are funded by state taxes. They are funded through community health centers or state health departments. They often run these with grants from the federal government.
While they may charge something, they often have lower fixed prices. They’ll also have sliding fees depending on your income.
Most of these clinics will offer X-rays, root canals, fillings, crowns, surgical tooth extractions, and emergency dental appointments.
You should be able to find a national directory online for all affordable dental programs. Try and find clinics that are run by health departments or are classified as federally qualified health centers.
Donated Services
Some charities and states also donate labor and material to provide free care for people who can’t afford it. For example, Dental Lifeline operates in all fifty states, and they accept patients who are older than sixty-five. Some of them also accept patients who have disabilities.
There are also other programs that will match children who are low income to volunteer them for braces and other treatments.
The America’s Dentists Care Foundation also hosts Mission of Mercy. This is a two-day free clinic that is often hosted at high schools around the country. They normally don’t require proof of income and will treat as many people as possible.
Dental Schools
The American Dental Association trains future dentists, but they need people to practice on.
Because of this, they offer reduced-cost dental treatment that is still quality treatment. While students will be doing the work, they’ll have a licensed and experienced dentist supervising them, so you will be safe the whole time.
You may also find dental hygiene schools offering low-cost dental care to train dental hygienists as well!
Medical Studies
Many research organizations and universities also conduct testing for newer dental treatments to treat all kinds of different conditions.
For example, if they’re testing a new procedure or a pharmaceutical treatment, they may need volunteers to do research on. You’ll have to qualify for their criteria for each study before you can become a test subject.
If you’re selected, many of the researchers will pay you for being a test subject as well.
To find a study to participate in, you can search the database in the National Institute of Dental and Cranial Research.
Dental Savings Plan
Many people think a dental savings plan and dental insurance are the same things, but they’re actually very different.
A dental savings plan will help to get you discounts from dentists who are in their network. All you’ll have to do is pay a yearly fee, and that’s typically less than $150 for each family.
There’s also no deductible, so you don’t have to pay a certain amount before you can start getting that discount.
Another great benefit is that the discount will be available to you just a few days after you sign up. So you don’t have to go through a waiting period in order to get work done.
A dental savings plan is a great option for people who don’t have access to dental insurance. Even if you do have dental insurance, it’s great for helping out with services that dental insurance doesn’t cover.
For example, many older people who are on Medicare may not have full coverage, so this dental savings plan can help to fill in the gap. Many younger people also use it for treatments like teeth whitening, which traditional insurance doesn’t normally cover.
If you don’t have dental insurance, you may also want to check out this link for other payment options: http://www.boisedentist.com/dental-financing-and-payment-options/i-have-no-dental-insurance/.
State Resources
You can also try calling your local health or state departments. Sometimes they run other programs that will offer reduced or free dental care.
They may even have financial assistance programs that can help you afford a private dentist.
Low-Cost Provider
You may even be able to find some affordable dentists in your area that specifically cater to low-income and uninsured people. These dentists will normally have a sliding scale as well.
If you can’t even afford a sliding scale, you might even be eligible to get free service at a free medical clinic. However, your eligibility will depend what your income level is.
Discover More About How to Find Affordable Dentists
These are only a few tips to save money and find affordable dentists, but there are many more ways to save on your dental costs.
Keep in mind that you can always be honest with your dental provider and see if they can offer you a discount or a payment plan.
If you loved the information in this article, explore our website some more to find great tips just like this one!
Tiffany is a Medical Student and also works as a fitness coach in part-time. She is also a writer and writes on health and fitness articles. Tiffany loves to engage with users and help them provide various useful information on General Health. She provides researched-based information and also featured on various blogs and magazines.