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I don't have insurance and have to get work done. I know I need fillings at least. Got any bright ideas on the best ways to save some cash?
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That's far far cheaper than I would have guessed billeater. I know our local dentist charges $150 for a cleaning alone because I got one and didn't have insurance. One of these times I'm going to put off going too long and end up needing some seriously costly work. Thanks for the link!
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Get them filled before they get worse, frazzledmom. The longer you wait the bigger chance they will break or get abcessed. Shop around and ask for a quote on what fillings would cost roughly.
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I went and got it done. It cost me just under $200 between an extraction and a cleaning. To get the tooth fixed that I had pulled would have cost me over $800 for a crown. No way , Hose! I forgot I'd asked about this. Thanks for all the advice. I looked at the dentalplans site and they were all too far from me.
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Tell them right away you don't have insurance and ask what they can do for you. Dentists are so used to people that have insurance they recommend every last thing that would be covered. The last time I went I could have walked out without paying because the receptionist was just waving me off, saying my insurance would cover it. I don't have any! (Of course they had my address but the point is it's assumed you have it.)
Mine is good at doing what he can at the best rate he can give me and only carrying out necessary work to avoid me being in pain.Cosmetic work can wait.
©2009
There's some good news here. Dental Insurance isn't that expensive to get as an individual...unlike health insurance. In fact, some of the individual plans are cheaper and better than what many employers offer.
For a single person, there are plans that sit roughly in the range of $100-$200 a year.
I looked at a few sites, and while I'm not personally endorsing it, dentalplans.com lets you enter a zip code, and then shows the prices right up front. The plans seem to be legit, with recognizable names like Cigna and Aetna.
I'd be curious to hear from someone that buys one. As a small business, I'm able to get health and dental a little cheaper than individual insurance...but, the savings for health was much bigger than the quotes I see on the site above for dental.