I get a lot of emails from people who feel at a lost when it comes to finding good dental care – whether for themselves, a family member or a friend. They feel overwhelmed and don’t really know where to start when it comes to getting care. If you feel the same way, I encourage you to read on.
1. Contact the nearest dental school in your area to see if you qualify as a patient. Review the list of Dental Schools here. Important Note: You will need to contact the school directly for more information on becoming a patient at their facility.
2. Review some of the ways to save on dental work as a Dental School patient. Patients can receive dental procedures at a significantly lower cost or for free by participating in dental research projects. In some instances, candidates can also receive monetary compensation (which you can use towards any dental work you may need). See the latest dental school clinical research projects here.
Personally, due to time constraints, I often use a credit card to pay for my procedures, in addition to being enrolled in a great Dental Plan program. Overall, I find my savings to be quite substantial (as much as 50% off listed fees). I simply used a credit card for the added convenience of a payment plan. Check out the plan I use here. Compare different dental plans, the costs of the plan(s) and the actual charge that the participating dentist is obligated to accept towards specific dental procedures. You can do all of this without signing up for anything! Most plans even provide vision and prescription coverage at no additional cost.
To summarize, I would recommend enrolling in a dental plan as the first step to saving. Dental Plans are relatively inexpensive and offer great discounts on dental care. Locate available Dental Plans in your area here, then decide. See if your favorite or recommended dentist participates in a particular plan, then take it from there. Review the plans, the savings, the dentists enrolled in the plan, all conveniently from one place. As far as I know, there are no dental schools which participate in dental plan programs, but they are some very good dentists who do.
Wishing you well with your dental needs!
