If you can't afford dental insurance, do you think the dentist should give you a small discount?
550785
Hey Jewel,\nI am a dentist and if a person pays for the service in full on the same day I render it I will give them an 8% discount (Only 4% with a credit card as I have to pay the 3-4% for credit cards used in my office).  I don't do this for insurance patients because I have to collect the insurance payment directly from the insurance company and that takes a couple of weeks so I don't receive payment the same day.  One person suggested Care Credit for financing treatment and that it a great suggestion. I don't work with Care Credit but I work with the Dental Fee Plan through Capital One which is very similar and I'm sure your dentist has some institution he or she works with- just ask them.  I don't consider it tacky when a patient asks for a discount as long as they do it tactfully.  Just say something like "Do you have a discount for cash patients?"  Believe me cash patients are my favorite patients. Insurance companies are a pain in the butt to deal with and I have to take a discount when working with them, so I sure don't mind to do it for my cash paying patients. BUT...I DON'T GIVE THEM A CASH DISOUNT UNLESS THEY ASK FOR IT.\nDr. R.
835347
You should not have a financial obligation to the dentist IF they value you as a patient/customer. Because of the lawsuit against OrthoClear by Invisalign, OrthoClear decided to go out of business. Invisalign is accepting all of their cases at the same rate initially quoted. AOA is also offering very good rates to finish the OrthoClear cases.\n\nYour dentist did incur expenses but since the closing of OrthoClear was not by your daughter's doing, they should not charge you. For her dentist to keep 80% of what your daughter has paid is totally unethical in my opinion. \n\nLegally, your dentist could not submit a claim to your insurance company if your daughter's treatment had not started. That is totally against the law. \n\nYour dentist should consider this as "the cost of doing business and trying a new product" and accept the loss and not pass any charges on to your daughter.\n\nHow do I know this, this is what we are doing. Those wanting to continue treatment will not be charged anything additionally no matter the costs we incur and those wanting to discontinue treatment (though we have none) would receive 100% of their money back. This is how I insist things are done at my office. It's the only way to do business, I feel.\n\nGood luck with this. I disagree with the aligners being in dentist offices' anyway; although Invisalign has certified dentists' to use Invisalign. Here is an excellent example of why they shouldn't. Only a trained Orthodontist  should be allowed to provided correction of malocclusions and other orthodontic problems. Many dentists don't know the limitations of the appliances nor will they admit their own limitations.\n\nAddendum: I respect the opinion of others even when they're in disagreement with me. I would be inclined to get a second opinion from someone who knows me on the arrogance charge, however. *giggle*
856997
You can call around your local dentist and ask if they have a sliding fee program or know of any dentist in the area that do, then you would only have to pay 10%-50% of the cost based on income.
837323
It really depends.  Some dentists are willing to do more things for purely cosmetic reasons than others are.  Have you thought about having them capped?
770409
Contact your local or state dental association and and see if there are any dentists who provide free or reduced cost care for low-income, disabled or senior patients.\n\nCall your local health department and ask about health centers that provide dental care for free or on a sliding scale.\n\nYour local United Way may also be aware of such a clinic.  In some areas, you can reach them now by dialing 2-1-1 for "non-emergency information."\n\nGo to a dental school, if there is one near you, for reduced costs.\n\nCheck http://www.toothwoman.net to see if low-cost or free dental services are available near you.\n\nCheck http://bphc.hrsa.gov and choose "Find a Health Center" to see if there is a low-cost clinic near you.\n\nCheck http://www.nfdh.org/DDS.html to see if your state has a "Donated Dental Services" program.  D.D.S. is designed to locate dentists who will give free care to patients who are financially compromised due to medical problems.  This is a process that will take a couple of months to get your information and then arrange for someone to see you.  Not all states have D.D.S. programs.
297318
dentist often hAVE PAYMENT PLANS OR SLIDING FEE scales just ask
719285
You have to check your policy because every company and policy is different.  If you don't know, your dentist should get preapproval and should be able to tell you what you'll be responsible for.
799189
He should check with student services at his school, usually they have different types of insurance for their students.  If there is a Dental School, they can have work done there at either low or no cost.
585136
Most dental insurance is flawed in that your premiums are so expensive that it ends up being the cheaper to just pay on your own. Delta is actually very good. Horizon blue cross has some good plans. The Dental Companion plan is very inexpensive and gives discounts on the major services with no annual max.
930846
Sorry - you'll find that all schemes do it as cash back. I guess there's too many dentists to be settling money to for the Insurers. \nThey do pay out quite quickly though after receiving a claim.\n\nTry moneysupermarket.com though for full details of policies.
953181
4 to 8 hundred should cover it at a low cost dentist.
933144
it's either care credit or dental fee plan.
541923
If I had a dollar for every time someone said I just want a cleaning and no x-rays.  These days there is no such thing as a "cleaning".  If a dentist sees you as a new patient, cleans your teeth, and does not take any x-rays to see inter-proximal decay or bone loss associated with periodontal disease then he is neglecting you.  The dentist can be held liable by a court of law even if you said you do not want x-rays.  It goes like this, you come in and have your cleaning, no x-rays, you have an exam by doc and go on your merry way.  Two weeks later you have a tooth ache so bad that you want to tear your hair out, you go back to doc, he takes an x-ray, and surprise you have an abscessed tooth.  You are pissed and want to know why doc did not say anything about a tooth that was/is abscessed two weeks ago?  Well the dentist could not see the root of that tooth unless he has an x-ray to look at, and that is where the abscess is; around the root of a tooth.  Now are you going to say okay doc, I know that you did not take an x-ray that's not a problem.  Or are you going to think, hey this is the dentist, he/she should know what to do?  Now I am going to sue them for neglect.  If I were you I would save the money for the cleaning part, and get a full set of x-rays to make sure there is nothing serious going on.  We have to see the whole picture before we can give you the care that you need and deserve.  Oral health is not just about cleanings anymore.  You must have a healthy mouth in order to have a healthy physical body.  It all goes together.  Any bleeding in the mouth is a sign of infection.  Any decay in the mouth is infection.  Any abscess in the mouth is infection.  That means bacteria, pus, and swollen bleeding gums.  Yuck, do you want that in your mouth?  I sure as heck don't.  The way that you worded your question leads me to believe that you need some help and an update on dental care.  Go to The American Dental Associations website and read and learn what you need to know about a dental checkup and the importance of radiographs.  The amount of radiation is small, esp. the offices that now use digital radiographs, it is a third less radiation then traditional x-rays.  You can also contact a local dental school.  As a student I was always desperate to find somebody to take a full mouth set of x-rays on.  Many times I would even pay for the set just to have someone to take them on.  At the time I was in school, (2002) a full mouth set was fifteen dollars.  In the real world of dentistry they run from 80 to 150 dollars.  Quite a big difference.  To answer your question after all of the lecture, at our office, for an exam, basic cleaning, and bitewing x-rays, about 130.00 dollars.
805657
Call the company and see if they'll give you a discount.
768996
TINKERBEL,\nYOU ARE DEFINITELY NOT ALONE. MANY FOLKS HAVE NO DENTAL INSURANCE OR MEDICAL.\nIF YOU CAN LOOK FOR A DENTAL SCHOOL TO DO THE WORK OR A DENTAL CLINIC THE RATES ARE MORE REASONABLE THAN PRIVATE PRACTICE DENTISTS.\nTALK TO INDIVIDUAL DENTAL OFFICES AND SEE IF A PAYMENT ARRANGEMENT CAN BE MADE WITH THEM?
271886
the dental plan is. that's what I have through my work and it has come in handy to reimburse me out of pocket expenses for any dental work plus money back just for getting your teeth cleaned twice a year. dental plan is the least expensive of their plans I think. I had the accident/disability plan but ended up cancelling it due to the cost.
537019
I have medical health and dental insurance now but not always. I think that I get better treatment and have more options available to me by having insurance. I also think that it depends on how good your insurance is too. If you have crappy health insurance that doesn't cover much then you may as well not have insurance at all. It is a big game with the providers and they are all in it for the money. Some insurance companies bargain with health care facilities and will only pay a certain amount where as some insurance will cover at 100%. Which person do you think they'll kick out of the hospital faster? The one that either can't afford it or they are making little money OR the one that they are getting their whole costs paid?\nSad but true. Scandalous actually but this has been an issue for years. The cost of insurance keeps rising because people that don't have insurance usually don't pay their bills or can't pay them in a timely manner so the person who can afford insurance ends up paying for it with higher premiums or deductibles,etc...