Dental work is absolutely essential to maintaining both oral health and general overall health. Untreated dental issues can eventually lead to systemic infections that increase your risk for heart disease, stroke, and other medical problems, in addition to putting you at risk for tooth loss and painful abscesses. Yet dental work can be expensive, and dental insurance policies lag far behind traditional medical insurance in coverage. Fortunately, there are several ways of financing dental work that allow you to break up your bills into manageable chunks.
Cost Breakdown
Your dentist will create a detailed treatment plan for you before work begins. Some offices automatically provide detailed cost breakdowns, while others will provide one if asked. Either way, be sure that you have a full accounting of the costs involved before you get started.
Timing Issues
While it is certainly best to treat dental issues as soon as they occur, some conditions are higher priority than others. For example, a missing tooth replacement may be delayed without significant risks, while an infected tooth that is left untreated could rapidly worsen. Ask your dentist to prioritize your issues to spread the financial burden over time.
If you need a multi-stage treatment, such as dental implants, your dentist may be able to break up the work to maximize the amount that your insurance will pay. For example, he or she might extract failing teeth at the end of your insurance year, and then place the implants at the start of your next insurance year.
Consider Credit Cards
Different credit cards have different interest rates, and introductory offers can be particularly attractive. If you are good at managing credit and will have the funds to pay off your dental work before the introductory period expires, a zero-interest or very low interest rate credit card can be a great way to finance your dental work. Just be careful not to use the card for things you don’t need, and remain disciplined enough to pay off the balance. Then leave the card account open so that it can help your credit score over time.
Ask Your Dentist About Financing Plans
Many dentists work with financing companies such as Care Credit that specialize in medical and dental financing. If you need a great deal of work done, or your credit score is not high enough to qualify for a low-interest credit card, these companies may be able to help. Their requirements are typically less stringent than those of traditional banks, and they often provide high credit limits. Although their interest rates are high, they sometimes offer zero-interest deals for those who can pay off the balance in 6 months or a year.
Dental work is essential for your health, so it is important not to put it off. Don’t hesitate to talk to your dentist about your financial concerns. Dentists understand budgets, and will work hard to help you find a way to manage your dental expenses.
Married dentists Chad and Alexandra Schnabel welcome you to Savannah Dental Solutions. From caring children’s dentistry to high-tech cosmetic procedures and even full-mouth reconstruction, we blend the latest technology with traditional customer-oriented values. To start your journey to better oral health, call us today at (912) 354-1366.
