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I went to the dentist for the first time in several years and found out I need quite a bit of dental work. I knew I probably had some cavities, but the amount of treatment I need was a shock. I have dental insurance, but it won’t cover everything, and I can’t afford to pay thousands of dollars at once. I’m embarrassed to tell my dentist that some of the treatment is too expensive for me. Is it rude to ask if there are cheaper options? How do I find an affordable dentist without sacrificing the quality of my care?
Daniel
Dear Daniel,
Please don’t be embarrassed. Your budget is a legitimate consideration when making decisions about your dental care, and a good dentist should be willing to discuss it with you.
In fact, “What are my other options?” is one of the best questions you can ask before agreeing to any significant dental treatment.
An important distinction is that an affordable dentist isn’t necessarily the dentist advertising the lowest price. A dentist might be cheap, but cutting corners on your care. That is not what you want. Instead, look for a dentist who will explain your treatment options and help you find a way to protect your oral health while respecting your financial circumstances.
There May Be More Than One Way to Treat a Dental Problem
Dentistry isn’t always a choice between receiving one particular treatment or doing nothing.
Depending on your condition, there may be several appropriate solutions at different price points.
For example, imagine that you are missing a tooth. A dental implant is an excellent way to replace a tooth because the implant replaces the missing tooth without requiring support from the adjacent teeth. However, implants are generally more expensive than other tooth-replacement options.
Depending on your circumstances, alternatives might include a dental bridge or removable partial denture.
Those treatments aren’t identical. Each has advantages and disadvantages involving cost, longevity, comfort, function, and the effect on your remaining teeth.
Your dentist should explain those differences so you can make an informed decision rather than simply presenting you with a price.
Ask Which Treatment Needs to Be Done First
You mentioned needing quite a bit of dental work. That doesn’t necessarily mean everything has to be completed at once.
One way to save money is by triaging the situation. Ask your dentist whether your treatment can be prioritized.
An active infection or badly damaged tooth, for example, may need immediate attention, while another procedure might safely wait. If treatment can be completed in phases, you may be able to spread the expense over several months or even longer.
Phasing treatment can also give you an opportunity to plan around your dental insurance benefits.
The important part is doing this with your dentist rather than simply postponing treatment on your own. Your dentist can tell you which problems can safely wait and which ones are likely to become more serious—and more expensive—without treatment.
Preventive Dentistry Is Usually the Most Affordable Dentistry
Once your immediate dental problems are under control, one of the best ways to reduce your long-term dental expenses is surprisingly simple: keep seeing your dentist.
It can be tempting to skip dental appointments when money is tight, particularly if nothing hurts. Unfortunately, small dental problems rarely become less expensive when ignored.
A relatively small cavity may only need a filling. If decay progresses far enough into the tooth, you could eventually need a crown, root canal treatment, or even an extraction and tooth replacement. Each of those becomes progressively more expensive.
Regular cleanings and examinations give your dentist an opportunity to find problems while they are still small.
What If You Don’t Have Enough Dental Insurance?
Dental insurance can help, but having insurance doesn’t necessarily mean it will pay for all the care you need.
If your out-of-pocket expenses are still too high, ask the dental office what other options are available. Depending on the practice, these might include:
- Financing that allows you to make payments over time
- No-interest financing for qualifying patients
- An in-office dental savings or membership plan
- Phasing treatment to spread costs over a longer period
- Coordinating treatment to make the most of available insurance benefits
If you don’t have dental insurance at all, ask whether the practice offers an in-office savings plan. These plans are not insurance, but they can sometimes provide preventive services and discounts on additional treatment for an annual membership fee.
Affordable Shouldn’t Mean Cheap Dentistry
There is one place where I would be cautious about choosing solely according to price.
Complex procedures such as dental implants require significant skill and training. An unusually low fee can be appealing, but correcting poorly performed dental work can ultimately cost considerably more than having it done correctly in the first place.
Instead of asking, “Who is the cheapest dentist?” consider asking, “Who will help me find the best care I can reasonably afford?”
Those are two very different questions.
Be honest with your dentist and tell him or her exactly what you wrote me. You want to take care of your teeth, but you cannot afford to complete thousands of dollars of treatment at once. Ask which procedures are most urgent, which can wait, and whether you have alternative treatment options.
A good dentist won’t be offended by those questions. They’ll help you understand your choices.
This blog is brought to you by a caring dentist in Baton Rouge, Dr. John Theriot.