Spending and Saving

Discount Dental

While a number of creative ways exist to find affordable health care coverage, one question remains unanswered for many: What about my teeth?

Poor dental health has been linked to a whole host of other medical conditions. And to make matters worse, the cost of a visit to the dentist’s office is rising so quickly that even basic cleanings and fillings have become unaffordable for many.

So what’s an uninsured person to do? For many, discount clinics run by accredited dental schools have stepped in to fill the void, while other consumers are choosing to leave the country entirely for dental work at half the cost. But those aren’t your only options. We’ve put together a round-up of popular ways to get discounts on your dentistry, even without insurance.

Check Out Dental Schools
Accredited dentistry schools across the country offer basic dental care for 25 to 30 percent less than a private dentist’s office. Although experts say getting treated at a dental school is no riskier than at a typical office, the high demand for discount services allows many schools to be choosy. Anyone who needs only a few fillings may not be accepted as a patient because their issues are too minor, while patients who need too much work many be denied an appointment because their needs are too complex. For the best chance of getting in, call the dental school in your area well in advance of when you need to get an appointment, and prepare for a long day—since students tend to take much longer on basic procedures than the dentists you’re probably used to.

Join a Discount Club
For a fee of around $100, dental discount clubs give members access to participating dentists with rates that are 20 to 30 percent cheaper than normal. Unlike insurance, dental clubs don’t offer “coverage,” just discounted rates with dentists who are happy to receive immediate payment without having to file time consuming claims with insurance providers. Just be sure to avoid any fraudulent clubs by sticking with brand names in the business, such as Careington, Aetna, Cigna, and WellPoint’s Uni-Care affiliate, to name a few.

Go On a Dental Vacation
Of the half a million Americans who went abroad for medical care in 2006, nearly 40 percent were looking for discount dentistry. It’s a trend that doesn’t seem to be waning thanks to the recession, as more and more people flock to places like Costa Rica, Mexico, and even Hungary, for pricy procedures like dental bridges, bonding, and root canals that can be up to 75 percent less than they’d cost at clinics in America.

Shop Around
Who says you can’t get a second opinion when it comes to price? One of the few luxuries of being without dental insurance is that there are no “preferred” doctors, which means you can go to whoever you want. So stop being shy. If you need something simple like x-rays or a cleaning, call up a few offices and ask for prices. Bargaining is always an option, too—although you may want to save that for days when you’re really feeing gutsy.

–

Tags: bargains, dental, health insurance, money saving strategies