| How to Get Low Cost Dental Work Sep 28th 2012, 00:00 Like everything medical, the cost of dental care keeps going up. The thought of shelling out hundreds of dollars for that root canal you've always wanted just hurts—–even people with dental plans are feeling the pain! Here are some tips to help you take some of the dent out of the dentist's bill if you live in North America. - Get insured. Do this before you have an emergency dental issue. In tough economic times, that might seem like a pie-in-the-sky idea, but consider this: dental insurance is remarkably affordable. There are plans available that will make cleanings, fillings, crowns, and the ever-popular root canal (which can cost around $1,500 to the uninsured) much more affordable, all for way less than you pay for that daily cup of coffee. In some cases, cleanings are even free!
- Compare quotes, and read the details. There are a lot of variations in coverage, and in what sort of medical attention you might need.
- Call your local dentists. Some offer income-based fees, and they may have a preferred insurer—or insurers they don't honor. Try ones affiliated with the city or county government. If you are unsure about where to find them, contact your region's health department for more information, or Google "dental care" plus your city. See, for example: "dental care portland oregon".
- Go to college. No, not to become a dentist—–you'd have a heck of a time doing your own fillings, and how could you ask questions in the middle of the procedure with your own hand in your mouth? However, if you find a college or university that has a dental school, they will most likely have a clinic in which they offer reduced-cost care. This allows their students to practice and also qualifies the schools for tax breaks and grants.
- In addition to having two to three years of dental coursework experience, the students who treat you are supervised by licensed professionals, meaning that the care you get at a dental school is no less safe and effective than at a normal dental clinic.
- If you are still concerned, look for a dental school that includes a post-graduate or faculty clinic. Even if you have to drive some distance, the savings are worth it. The estimate for x-rays and a crown is $450 at a dental school, versus well over $1000 at a regular dental facility. Combine that with dental insurance, and you are in for a real savings treat! (The kind of treat that doesn't cause cavities.)
- If you want just a cleaning, a local community college probably has a dental hygienist training program. Here, too, students do supervised work on you for a low price. Many insurance plans offer free cleanings—–it's preventative, and lowers their costs.
- Look for free dental clinics. These are usually run by churches or local non-profit agencies. In most cases they will ask for a donation but will perform most basic procedures for free.
- If you use these services, be sure to donate. Consider how much they save you, and donate accordingly, within your financial abilities.
- Consider dental tourism to Mexico. By visiting a dentist in Mexico, you can generally save between 60 and 70 percent relative to the cost of dental care at home. Once travel costs are factored in, you can still save a lot of money, even for relatively minor procedures.
- If considering dental tourism to Mexico, understand that dental standards there are lower than they are in Canada and the US. By working with a reputable, informed and objective international dental referral service, you will be able to locate dentists that have been pre-screened for compliance with North American dental standards (see citations).
- You may have to wait longer for an appointment, but often provision is made for emergency services.
Clinical trials - Enroll in clinical trials. Some trials require you to have a specific oral, dental, or cranio-facial condition, whereas others require the patient to be healthy. Trials can be for treatment, prevention, diagnostic, screening, or quality of life purposes. There are four different phases to clinical trials:
- Phase 1. The purpose of this phase is to test the safety of a particular drug or device. It usually calls for a group of 20-100 volunteers, who are often paid to participate. Researchers will monitor the side effects of the drug or device, as well as how a human body handles different dosages.
- Phase 2. The purpose of this phase is to test the success of the drug or device. It calls for a group of several hundred volunteers. The patients will be broken up into two groups—–one will receive the experimental treatment while the other will receive a control. The outcomes will be compared.
- Phase 3. The purpose of this phase is to provide more in-depth knowledge of the drug/device's effectiveness. This will be accomplished by providing randomized/blind testing to several hundred to several thousand patients.
- Phase 4. The purpose of this phase is to compare the drug/device to those already on the market, including the long-term effectiveness of the drug both health and cost-wise. It is conducted once the drug/device has been approved and is on the market.
- Locate a clinical trial near you. This can take a bit of work, but the effort can be worth it, especially for major dental work.
- Your dentist, primary, and specialty care physicians and nurses can assist you in finding clinical trials that you may be right for.
- Begin your search being as thorough and comprehensive as possible. When you've collected a list of potential trials, narrow your options down to a few targeted opportunities.
- Here are some suggested sites to find trials:
- CISRP[1]
- ClinicalTrials.gov[2]
- ClinicalTrials.com[3]
- Acurian.[4]
- Start a medical savings plan. When medical situations arise, they have no sense of timing. Start now, and contribute $20-$50 a month to your plan. If you have insurance, this will offset the deductibles, and if you don't, this might be the difference between taking care of a problem early, and extreme pain.
Edit Warnings - Don't wait until there's an emergency—–locate and utilize dental resources for preventive maintenance, and reduce the likelihood of expensive dental procedures later.
- Dentists love to sell crowns; there is a lot of profit in crowns. Find a dentist, usually a more mature individual with lots of working experience, who can place a filling in your tooth.
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