Our family doesn’t have dental insurance. My husband has been suffering with a toothache on and off for about 3 months. He needs a root canal. We want to hurry up and get this done correctly before the tooth infection spreads, but we are not in so much of a rush to take a chance of getting a botch job done. We have already been to two dentists who seemed like they were rushing us through the appointments. I had my teeth cleaned at one of the dentists and neither the dentist nor hygienist was personable. The cost for care was good but we just can’t go back there. I have started to think that the way we were treated was because we don’t have dental insurance but we do pay for the services. So I am getting a little nervous about finding a dentist with reasonable fees who also does good work. Are we asking for too much or do we just need to accept the fact that we are going to have to pay more for good dental care? – Karyl
Karyl – One way to proceed is to ask friends and family members for recommendations of dentists who give high-quality care. You can compare their rates to those of the “affordable dentists” who have visited already. Keep in mind the total cost of dental treatment includes individual procedures, so if you get a quote by phone, it will likely be the lowest cost for the simplest case. If your husband needs more extensive treatment, you will incur an additional cost for each procedure. So estimates you receive are just that—estimates.
A second thing to keep in mind is that dental fees vary based on location, the skill of the dentist, and the quality of dental materials used. It may be that offices with lower rates take shortcuts or don’t use high-quality materials. If either of these methods are used to lower dental costs, your husband may receive dental treatment that doesn’t last. A root canal may need to be repeated, a dental crown may not look natural, or it may not last.
When you find experienced cosmetic dentists who offer high-quality care, ask about how treatment is made affordable to patients who don’t have dental insurance. Financing or payment plans are often available. Spreading out payments can help your family receive quality care in a way that you can afford.
This post is sponsored by Baton Rouge dentist Dr. Steven Collins.