Can you help me figure out what to do? I haven’t been to the dentist for years because I didn’t have any dental insurance. But, I am in so much pain that I had to go in. All of my teeth have some kind of decay and most are infected. I can barely eat. I’m pretty much just eating mushy food and have lost a significant amount of weight. I want to find a good dentist who can give me the snap on implants, so they can stay in my mouth. But, my insurance wan’t cover it unless I pay $50 a month for the PPO. How do I find a good dentist who isn’t that expensive?
Joanne
Dear Joanne,
You are in a difficult position and I’m going to have to give you some tough answers. $50 a month to get the PPO coverage is going to be your best option at this point, but don’t expect it to cover everything. Your snap-on dentures are going to cost several thousand dollars. You don’t want to leave these infected teeth because people die from tooth infections every year.
There are affordable dentists, but you don’t just want to go for the cheapest dentist. Cheap dentistry does not save you money. Generally, you end up paying more because the results do not last as long. If you get a cheap dental crown that only lasts for three years when you can get a slightly more expensive crown that will last for fifteen years, you can see where you would be losing money in the long run.
The only way to get anything that is cheaper than your PPO would be to go to a cavity and have all your teeth extracted and get removable dentures. Charities only do removable dentures because they’ve doing the work for free and will provide the least expensive option.
For the benefit of others reading this post, preventative care is still the cheapest way to deal with your teeth. Many people without insurance think that going to the dentist without insurance is unaffordable. But, appointments for a checkup and cleaning only cost between $75 and $200 depending on the area you live in. Paying that a couple of times a year can save you thousands of dollars in dental repairs.
This blog is brought to you by gentle dentists in Libertyville, IL Drs. Potts and Mirza.