Daily Question is excerpted from the JustAnswer archives and features information provided from an expert on JustAnswer.
Q: My nephew (21) has very crooked, overcrowded teeth that are now rotting. Nobody will finance the estimated $18,000 to fix his dental problems. He?s always hiding his teeth now. What can he do to get help?
A: Assuming that the intent of your question is for strategies to overcome the financial obstacle to proper care, there are several options, outlined below.
If your nephew is disabled, he may qualify for his state’s Donated Dental Services program. In some states, overt disability may not be required to qualify, so it may be worthwhile to contact your local chapter to inquire. You can find information for your state DDS program here.
If your nephew falls below the poverty level, he should consider applying for Medicaid. Admittedly, some state Medicaid dental programs have been largely gutted and provide only the most basic care, but they should be able to assess and treat any infection, which is a priority. Check out this link.
Dental service is available at dental school clinics at fees that are substantially below those at private practices.
He can seek dental care in a community-based federally subsidized clinic; to find one nearby, see Find a Health Center and FreeMedicalCamps.com.
Several charitable programs provide free dental clinics around the country. Contact: Dentistry From the Heart or Oral Health America.
If your nephew has even a moderately acceptable credit rating, he may apply for a deferred third party installment payment plan, such as CareCredit.
You may also contact your local component of the American Dental Association for more community-based guidance for sources of dental care.
– Answer from Mark Bornfeld, DDS, dentist and expert and JustAnswer.
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{ 12 comments… read them below or add one }
If you are without dental insurance, try DentalPlans.com. For 2 years, my family has received substantial savings on dental services. A family (approx. $159.95) or individual (approx. $104.95) pays a single, annual fee, then chooses a local (by zip code), participating dentist (using their website search). You can then view discounts for services from over 30 dental plans that you pay directly to the dentist. You essentially get the same co-pays as insured patients without the insurance. Coverage is included for cleanings & xrays, filling, crowns, root canals, dentures, peridontal services, braces and more! For further details, you may contact them thru DentalPlans.com or contact them at 1-888-632-5353. Special promotions, including additional free months of service, are available for referrals. My Refer-A-Friend Code is 72R43N79.
Dental care has taken a back seat recently because of all the talk about standard health care, and rightly so. However, proper dental hygiene is an important part of taking care of your overall wellness. Problems such as bleeding gums and abscessed teeth have been directly related to oth.
It is very important to take care of our teeth.Because if we don't treat the problem at initial stage then it will turn to worse condition later.I suggest you to go to a dental care .They provide treatment in installments and it is also less expensive
Invest of insurance that covers dental care, this could lessen your financial expenses. I was lucky enough to get a good price with my braces by one of the orthodontist in perth, and still with good service and quality of course. Look for connections, maybe they can help you get discounts.
We should always have our own personal dentists that we can trust for our whole family's dental needs. I think some dental care clinics have dentists who do special house service, it's a little bit pricy but still I think it will be a lot of help for everyone who are not comfortable going to clinics.
Considering dental plans is what my dentists in winnebago suggests us to have. We asked them how can we avail these dental check ups and procedures if we can't afford the price lists. This what they let us have. Now we're having our check up every end of the month plus cleaning. A very good deal.
For me, one of the best ways people can still afford dental services even without a dental care is through having discounted services. I remember when the west columbia dental clinic had a promotion of their services giving opportunity to several people who are experiencing dental problems.
It is proper to address our dental problems because it might destroy our confidence in dealing with people. just take for example the case of the nephew, his confidence is affected due to his dental problems. So as parents, we should see to it that our children will have the proper dental check up twice a year to address on time possible problems that may occur.
I guess health insurances are one of the best answer for this. We had our dental insurance with tucson dentists, and it was a good deal.
Providing option for those people who can't afford proper dental care is what the dentist in revere ma is giving out. That is the reason why so many people get the benefit of proper dental care.
I can't imagine how much I'll save from my dental care rockford il if there were other ways to pay my dental services. To be honest, sometimes I don't understand why dental services are so expensive.
How I wish more dental services would be available to people. They should do what the collierville dentists are doing. Having a free dental service each month so that people who can't afford these services are given the opportunity to still receive dental treatment.