If you’re American then you’re no stranger to outright criminal costs of healthcare in this country. Unfortunately, that does not exclude dental care, which has become so costly and so under-covered by insurance that almost half of the people who use the internet will do more than two weeks of research before scheduling an appointment for dental care. Although doing research isn’t a bad thing, it hints at a more underlying problem, dental care is outright unaffordable for most Americans, so you better be absolutely sure that you need it before paying for it. Here are some tips to cutting down your dental costs while keeping those pearly whites perfect.
1. Throw Out Your Dental Insurance
This bold statement may seem counterproductive, however, all dental plans include monthly premiums to keep the service going. For most patients who just need annual cleaning and checkup for cavities that often means the premium you pay on a yearly basis is more expensive than just paying 100% outright for the cleaning and checkup. In most cases, you’ll find that routine care is actually cheaper to pay out-of-pocket rather than through insurance.
2. Find a Dental Discount Plan
Believe it or not, you can get massively discounted dental services without insurance. A dental discount plan will often offer 15%-60% off of dental services, which varies between dentists and services. Dentist offices honor these prices because the discount plan acts as a way to refer and redirect patients to a certain dentist, meaning the dentist’s office gets more patients and you pay less.
3. Shop Around and Ask For a Discount
There are around four million people wearing braces in America today according to the American Association of Orthodontists. This means millions of parents are paying for thousands of dollars in braces materials and treatment. Perhaps one of the most direct methods of saving money is simply by shopping around and asking for discounts directly. If you are given a quote from dentist A for $3,000, then go to dentist B and tell them the quote you were given and ask for a discount. Using this method you’ll pitch dentists A and B against each other while they race to the bottom to win over your new business.
4. Consider a Medical Credit Card to Finance Your Next Procedure
Nowadays, larger purchases are put onto credit cards where you can pay back the balance slowly over time. What most dental patients don’t realize is some credit cards specifically cover medical expenses with 0% interest payments.
5. Get a Second Opinion and Do Your Own Research
Oftentimes dental patients will fall under the “spell of perfectly straight teeth.” In fact, 35% of adults have well-aligned front teeth and have no need for braces or other invasive dental care. Even then, your dentists may try to sell you on getting braces to make those pearly whites ‘perfect’. Therefore, it’s important to get a second opinion and make sure the decision you’re making is an objective one.
6. Preventative Care
Perhaps the best method of saving money in the dental world is through preventative care. Make sure you brush your teeth 2-3 times a day for 5 minutes or more as well as floss at least once per day. Some people also turn to non-fluoride toothpaste which aims to re-calcify your teeth. For instance, most toothpaste in Japan does not rely on florid but instead aims to decalcify your teeth and literally heal and prevent cavities from getting worse. In other cases, you should also avoid certain drinks and foods in order to help preserve your teeth and gum line. For example, stay away from sugary drinks and try not to suck on sweet things like candy or acidic foods too often.
No Comments yet!