When your tooth is in severe pain, it’s obvious what the ideal next step is: reach out to your dentist for an emergency appointment. But if you don’t have dental insurance, then you might be reluctant to pick up the phone. Can you really afford to get your smile the care it needs even without an insurance plan? To answer this question, here are 3 important things to keep in mind.
1. Delaying Treatment Could Be More Expensive
It would be nice if your dental emergency simply went away after a while, but sadly, it’s more likely that the issue will only get worse the longer you go without treatment. A tooth that could have been repaired with a filling might eventually need a root canal or even an extraction. Getting the care you need now could help you avoid more expensive procedures later on; as such, even if you’re on a budget, scheduling an emergency appointment right away is often the smartest financial option.
2. Patients Without Insurance Can Still Be Eligible for Financing
What can you do if you don’t have an insurance plan to reduce your out-of-pocket costs for emergency dentistry? One option is to use dental financing to spread out the cost of your treatment over several months, allowing you to pay for your care without straining your bank account too much.
CareCredit is one of the most well-known options when it comes to dental financing. It effectively acts like a credit card that you can use to cover the cost of a given procedure; then you can pay what you owe in fixed monthly installments. If you talk to your dental team, they can help you apply for CareCredit.
3. Many Practices Have Discount Plans for Uninsured Patients
Dentists want to make the care they offer as accessible to their patients as possible, which is why many of them offer discount plans. The main advantage of such a plan is that you can get the care you need at a lower price without having to worry about insurance-related hassles like premiums.
The details of a discount plan depend on what practice is offering it, so you’ll have to check with your dentist to see what benefits are available. That being said, you can often expect discounts on a variety of treatments that are commonly associated with dental emergencies, such as crowns or tooth extractions.
In short, even uninsured patients still have options when it comes to emergency dental care, and it’s usually best not to delay treatment for too long. Don’t be afraid to ask your dentist for further tips on how you can take care of both your wallet and your smile when an emergency strikes.
About the Practice
At AV Dental Associates of Jersey City, we are very passionate when it comes to making sure our patients can get quality dental care at a price they can afford. We accept same-day emergency appointments, and we offer an in-house discount plan as well as financing options. To schedule a consultation at our practice, visit our website or call (201) 484-7759.
