Question by IndigoSapphire: Need dental work done, but have no insurance or job, what are my options?
I need dental work done, more than a cleaning, but I have had no insurance for 3 years and am currently unemployed with no money to cover it. I believe I have a start of an infection in a tooth and I know that can lead to bigger problems.

Best answer:

Answer by Timsterzilla
There are various assistance programs that vary from state to state, so you may want to contact your state dental society to see if there are programs in your area.
Another possible source of lower-cost dental care is a dental school clinic. Generally, dental costs in school clinics are reduced and may include only partial payment for professional services covering the cost of materials and equipment. Your state dental society can tell you if there is a dental school clinic in your area.

Federally-funded health centers care for you, even if you have no health insurance. You pay what you can afford, based on your income. Health centers provide
1. checkups when you’re well
2. treatment when you’re sick
3. complete care when you’re pregnant
4. immunizations and checkups for your children
5. dental care and prescription drugs for your family
6. mental health and substance abuse care if you need it
http://findahealthcenter.hrsa.gov/
From other contributors:

Talk to your state assistance program. They have free to cheap dental coverage. Also look in the yellow pages, some dentists will work with you on a payment plan. Good luck!
Go to the nearest dental college in your area. They always need people to work on and are usually very closely supervised. They may not do the work for free but it will be more affordable than at a regular dentist who has an office and employees to pay for.

You could try a discounted dental plan. Just go to dental plans and enter your zip code to find a dentist and plans in your area that will best suit your needs. I had it for about 2 years and it helped me to save a lot of money!

Save your money and pay cash. Take responsibility for your health and take action. Stop relying on someone else to solve your problems. I agree that if there is a training facility nearby for dentists, by all means, go there. The level of care will be very high and the cost will be much less than a private dentist. The negative thing about those places is the time it takes to get the care completed. You should plan on being there for several hours per visit, compared to a private doctor that will do the same thing in much less than an hour.

Try your local Health Dept. In Virginia some localities have Dentist for adults based on income, whereas, some are just for school age children. These Dentist are usually just out of college/training but are very good & careful. I myself searched high & low to find a dentist as I am indigent due to cancer & no insurance. I am trying to get disability but have been denied since 2000 & have not been able to work. So… taking responsibility & saving to pay for a dentist is not always an option for ALL people.

IF SOMEONE IS on State or Federal assistance (such as welfare or Medicare or Medicaid), certain dentists accept these patients for low cost or free dental care. The only other thing I can think of is to check out TEACHING HOSPITALS. They may have a School of Dentistry where graduate students work on teeth, under the supervision of an experienced dentist. Many times the cost is greatly reduced, and sometimes, depending on the situation, there may be no cost. GOOD LUCK! <<>>
And if there is no “free” clinic in your area, ask the health Dept. if there are any dentists who can/will work on a “sliding scale” meaning they will reduce their charges based on your income.

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