How To Pay for your Dental Work

Post written by: chmkadmin

Paying for dental care is a actually much easier than you might think. Since dental insurance is not nearly as ubiquitous as health insurance (many employers provide limited plans, if anything at all), many dental offices must operate under the assumption that a large percentage of their patients are not covered. Believe it or not, this helps keep the prices much lower than they would be otherwise.

Let's get one thing out of the way early on - outside of regular cleanings and checkups, dental care still is not cheap. Tooth extractions, root canals, fillings, etc... can run several hundred dollars or more per procedure. That said, you will end up paying less in the long run if you follow preventative guidelines, paying for the inexpensive bi-annual cleanings.
 
The biggest factor that works to your advantage is that a local dentist's office wants and cares about your business! That's right, as dentists are not typically governed by some large consortium or group (there are some exceptions) and operate as small businesses, they are much more open to keeping you happy as a customer. Additionally, most dentists are very upfront on the cost of procedures before you get them done. Although you may have a good personal relationship with your doctor as well, your doctor likely does not handle all billing internally (there are exceptions of course), and may not be aware of your ability to pay or not to pay. Additionally, because of the heavy influence of insurance, doctors will not typically post a fee schedule for rendered services beyond the cost of an office visit. This can lead to big problems if you wind up with a bill that's unexpected - whether you have insurance or not. Worse, billing can be so bad from doctors offices - that the first bill you might receive will be from a collection agency. Bad news.

This often means that they are more willing to work with you on your bill, which can mean dramatic service price reductions and easy payment plans. A good example is a dental emergency (for example a sports injury that knocks a tooth out) - where you are all but forced to go to the dentist - even if you do not regularly go. You are much more likely to receive a big discount on the procedure if you agree to make regular preventative visits in the future.
 
If you are lucky enough to have dental insurance, you're in an even better position. Since there are fewer dental insurance companies, it's much easier for individual dentists to work directly with them. It's especially advantageous for orthodontics, where an office will likely spread your costs over many months taking into account your lifetime orthodontic maximum. That's a great deal, and the payment books are usually issued right out of the dentists office.
 
Obviously, no one can predict a dental emergency, but regular cleanings and exams can prevent a whole host of future problems, equating to less worries about how to pay for dental care. Oh, and don't forget to ask for the gas!  If you have found other ways to pay for affordable dental care, please leave a comment!