Most of the world knows that Americans care a lot about how our teeth look. Nearly all people in the United States (99.7%) believe that having a nice smile is important to their social standing. At least 96% think tat it is important for their romantic life and 74% say an ugly smile can hurt their job prospects. The problem, for many people, is the cosmetic dentistry cost. The good news is that there are ways to deal with the price tag of cosmetic dentistry.
- Get estimates. When you want to make a big purchase for your home or need a service, you check out the prices for a few providers. You probably also look to get itemized quotes for any work you need to have done around your home. You should take that very same approach when you research cosmetic dentistry costs. Talk to a few providers and get them to give you a full break down of what they want to do and how much it sill costs.
- Think about where you can go. You may be able to pay less if you expand your search for qualified professionals to do the work on your mouth. If you live in a big city, such as New York City, look for dentists outside of town. Maybe if you expand your search to upstate New York, you can find some more cost effective alternatives for the dental work that you want done.
- Look at dental schools. People who put in dental implants and do other kinds of cosmetic dentistry have to learn how to do that somewhere. Dental schools often have lower cost dental clinics that handle a wide variety of dental needs. The cosmetic dentistry costs are often much lower at a clinic run by the school than anywhere else. The main drawbacks to going to these places for your dental care is that you may have to wait a very long time.
- Look for charities in your area. Many areas are home to dental charities and dental societies where they have care that has been discounted for people who qualify. Some may offer free cosmetic dentistry for certain members of the community such as people with disabilities, veterans, victims of domestic violence and others. You can check with the American Dental Association to see if there are any of these kinds of places near you.
- Get a dental credit plan. There are now some companies who offer special financing to help defray the cosmetic dentistry cost. These companies will extend a certain amount of credit so that people can get the dental work they need done. They do charge certain fees and interest, as this is a loan but it can be a great way to get the treatment you need.
- Look for a dental plan at a discounted rate. There are membership plans now where patients have a lower monthly, quarterly or yearly rate they pay and in return they get lower rates for dental care, including dental implants and other cosmetic dentistry procedures and services. These can be between 10 to 60% of the costs of the work that needs to be done. These can make many procedures affordable for a number of people and families.
- Check with your insurance carrier. There are some procedures that are not covered because they are considered to be strictly cosmetic in nature but what is and is not covered by insurance companies is changing. For instance, dental implants are considered to be part of cometic dentistry but they are so much better for people than dentures or the other options that are out there that insurance companies are starting to rethink that. Dental implants have an unparalleled success rate (99%) and are the closest thing to natural teeth, after natural teeth. Check with your insurance provider, you may be surprised about what they will cover.
Few things can make us feel great or make us feel terrible than the look of our smile. It is one of the first things people notice about us. If you are looking to have some work done , you may balk when you hear about the cosmetic dentistry costs but you do have different options.
