Making Cosmetic Dentistry Affordable
September 28th, 2011
You work out to keep in shape, you have your hair cut & combed, you wear the right clothes and if you are a woman add makeup to the list. Whether it’s a first date, job interview or a big sales presentation you want to look your best. There is one more thing that everyone notices right away, your smile. Do you avoid smiling for the camera or worry that people are looking at you mouth? You’re not alone, having bad or crooked teeth make millions of people self-conscious. The problem most of us face is that the fix is too expensive.
Dental insurance is a good thing to have but there are limits to what it will do. I personally have never seen a dental insurance plan that covers braces or any other cosmetic dentistry. In my family we had a situation where the dentist said if we didn’t take care of a problem it would cause problems in the future. The insurance called it cosmetic and we paid out of our own pocket.
Another thing that frustrates me about dental insurance is that there are limits on the annual benefit. When I was young I had a job with dental benefits. I had to go to the dentist and was feeling good that I actually had coverage. After the initial exam the nurse came in and told me that the work they needed to do would use up my entire benefit plus I would need to pay two hundred dollars myself. When I left my mouth wasn’t the only thing hurting, but I got my first lesson on the reality of dental coverage.
The cost of dental care is not only the thing that keeps us from fixing our teeth but many times is the reason they are bad in the first place. Many Americans put off taking care of their teeth until they are in pain. I know I’m guilty. When I was young I put off fixing my teeth because I didn’t have the money. I waited until I was hurting, by that time the problems were a lot bigger, more expensive and left flaws in my smile.
So what can you do to get the care you need at a price you can afford? There are several steps I would recommend.
1. Educate yourself: You can go online and research the different options for fixing your smile. Look at the procedures, what they involve, what they are designed to fix, how permanent they are and of course the average cost.
2. Make a list of questions: when you visit a dentist take your list and ask the questions so you know exactly what to expect.
3. Check to see what the dentists in your area charge: It is difficult for a dentist to give you an exact quote without first examining your mouth and these exams cost money but they can often give you a rough estimate. Don’t just check with specialists. Some treatments can by done by general dentists and often at a lower cost.
4. Ask about discounts: Don’t be afraid to tell them that you don’t have dental insurance or that this treatment would be a financial burden. You will find that many dentists can give you a discount or work out a payment plan you can afford.
5. Join a discount membership group: There is now an industry that calls itself “Customer Driven Health care“ that brings members together with providers and offers huge discounts on services. These groups are very affordable to join and often include things like orthodontics and cosmetic dentistry that insurance wont pay for. The way it works is simple. The provider gets a flood of new business without the time and hassle of billing insurance. The patient gets Huge discounts on all their care.