Cheap dental insurance plans are a growing trend in a nation where the economy is unstable and yet we still need to take care of our teeth.  One of the temptations of having a tight budget is to cut out things we don’t need anymore.  But with all of this cutting, you need to make sure you don’t cut out your oral health as well.  One of the worst things you can do is to stop going to the dentist simply because you don’t think you can afford it.  This will cause worse problems down the road with your teeth that will cost way more than you may think.  After all, a crown costs must more than a simple cavity.  Preventative care is a big money saver, especially when talking about your dental health.

Some of the cheapest dental insurance plans can be found by checking out discount dental plans.  There are over 30 different kinds if dental plans you can choose from and the prices start at $79 per year.  There are no maximum penalties to worry about and your current dental health does not play a factor in whether or not you can use one of these plans.  With over 100,000 dentists accepting these cheap dental plans it is an option that you shuold heavily consider with your spouse or family members.

You can brush your teeth and floss all you want, but you will still need a dental cleaning at least once a year.  Without this cleaning you will have all kinds of build up on your teeth that ordinary toothbrushes cannot get off.  The tools a dentist uses are able to get those pearly whites sparkling again and make sure you don’t have any future cavities.

But none of us have perfect dental health and that’s why a cheap dental insurance plan may be the perfect solution for your current situation.

I call them secrets only because not many people know about this.  You will not find this in a confidential report somewhere, but this article will describe one of the best ways to get the absolute cheapest dental work done.

Across America there are hundreds of dental schools.  These schools will provide either very affordable or sometimes even free dental work.  Why?  Because they need the practice.  As scary as that may sound it is perfectly safe.  There is plenty of supervision so you will be in good hands of any of these schools.  I recently visited one of these schools for a free examination and it was a very pleasant experience.  Both the students and the dentist teacher were very friendly.  It was actually a better experience than most dentists offices that I have gone to that charge hundreds of dollars for similar visits.

I am currently waiting to go back for a free dental cleaning.  Yes, I said free.  It will only cost me my time.  I was warned that the cleaning visit would take a couple hours because the students will be supervised and the dentist will have to check their work, but for the cost of $0.00, that will be fine with me.

Now after the examination I may need some dental work done, and most schools will charge you for this but again, it will be much cheaper than any dentist you can go to.  You will need to ask what insurance companies they accept and you may want to look into a discount dental plan to see if they accept those as well.  Also, not every dental school will also do the dental work too.  I have to go to a different school to get my dental work done than the place where I will get my cleaning.

How much will it cost?

Most dentist schools will charge half the price as the very cheapest dentist office that you can think of.  You are also getting expert supervision during this process and the latest tools in dentistry, so it’s a win win if you can find a school near you.

Inexpensive: Cleanings, crowns, root canals or even veneers are cheaper at dental schools. I’d estimate that treatment is about half as expensive as a regular dental office. Students are good resources for learning about the best values offered at the school. Ask them if there are any procedures that are particularly cheap at the school. Perhaps tooth whitening kits are particularly inexpensive. It depends on the school.

Working with these students is a great experience too.  They are not cranky as dentists that have been in the field for 20 + years and usually very fun to talk to and work with.  The students I worked with knew their stuff and were on top of their game.  They want to impress their professors and get a good grade so you will get excellent work done.

The only con here is that it may take some time and up to 3 appointments before you can get some work done.  So if you are in a hurry than you may want to just use your dental insurance or dental plan at your own local dentist and forget about this idea.  But it’s an option you should seriously consider.

Here are a few schools across American that you can contact about some cheap dental work.  Contact one of these school in your area to find out of they offer a program for you to enter for this affordable dental work:

• University of Alabama School of Dentistry, Birmingham, Alabama
• Arizona School of Dentistry and Oral Health
• Loma Linda University School of Dentistry, Loma Linda, California
• UCLA School of Dentistry, Los Angeles
• University of California at San Francisco School of Dentistry
• Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry, University of the Pacific, San Francisco, Calif.
• University of Southern California USC School of Dentistry, Los Angeles, California
• Western University of Health Sciences, Western University School of Dental Medicine, Pomona, California
• University of Colorado Denver
• University of Connecticut Health Center
• Howard University College of Dentistry
• Nova Southeastern University College of Dental Medicine, Ft. Lauderdale
• University of Florida College of Dentistry, Gainesville, Florida
• Medical College of Georgia
• University of Illinois at Chicago College of Dentistry, Chicago, Illinois
• Southern Illinois University School of Dental Medicine, Carbondale, Illinois
• Indiana University School of Dentistry, Indianapolis, Indiana
• University of Iowa College of Dentistry
• University of Kentucky College of Dentistry, Lexington, Kentucky
• Louisiana State University School of Dentistry, New Orleans, Louisiana
• University of Maryland Dental School of the University of Maryland at Baltimore,
• Harvard School of Dental Medicine, Boston
• Boston University Goldman School of Dental Medicine
• University of Michigan School of Dentistry
• University of Minnesota School of Dentistry
• University of Mississippi Medical Center School of Dentistry
• University of Nebraska Dental School
• UNLV School of Dental Medicine
• University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey-New Jersey Dental School
• Columbia University College of Dental Medicine, New York City
• University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York
• State University of New York at Buffalo School of Dental Medicine
• University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
• Ohio State University College of Dentistry, Columbus, Ohio
• University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center College of Dentisty, Oklahoma City
• Oregon Health & Science University School of Dentistry
• Temple University School of Dentistry, Philadelphia
• University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine
• Medical University of South Carolina College of Dental Medicine, Charleston, South Carolina
• Baylor College of Dentistry, Texas A&M Health Science Center, Dallas, Texas

There are many more schools you can go to for cheap dental work, but the list above is a list of some of the most well known in the nation.

By Chris Williams

Many people these days have a difficult time affording health care and dental care for themselves as well as their family members. Individuals who happen to be self-employed or who may own a small business are also finding it difficult to pay for dental insurance. Seeing a growing trend, many dental and health insurance companies now offer what are known as discount dental plans. But how does the average consumer know if these plans will save them money and are really practical for them? These questions and a lot more will be answered as we now shall take a closer look into discount dental plans and some of the options they offer.

We all would agree that dental insurance is costly. And in these uncertain economic times, many individuals and families alike are experiencing problems when trying to provide themselves or their family members with the proper amount of dental coverage. Once you have done extensive research about dental insurance plans and the various companies and prices, etc. you may come to the realization that a discount dental plan may in fact be exactly what you’ve been looking for. These discount plans offer you a very cost effective way to pay for your dental work without having to pay the recurring costs associated with most dental insurance plans. And there are some key ways in which dental insurance and discount dental plans differentiate.

For example, dental insurance provides full payment of all dental expenses as billed by your dentist, while discount dental plans make you totally responsible for these charges. Next, dental insurance mandates that you meet a specified deductible limit before the insurance company begins to pay for the billed expenses charged by your dentist. Discount dental plans, on the other hand, have no specified waiting periods or deductible amounts to reach before paying changes billed by your dentist. Finally, dental insurance will require you to provide a co-payment. Discount dental plans have set prices for a variety of dental procedures which their members pay for depending on what type of dental work they are having done.

If you began your search for discount dental plans using Google, the term “discount dental plans” would actually provide you with a total of 1.39 million hits. You have to understand where the best places to look are in order to find exactly what you need. Major dental insurance providers such as Cigna and Aetna actually provide you with discount dental plans along with their usual line up of traditional plans. Your other option may be to talk with your dentist about some of the plans they deal with on a daily basis and what they believe will work with your specific needs the best. Then, talk with family members, self-employed individuals or friends. All of these people can offer you insights and a wealth of information you may never have had before.
As you probably have discovered from conducting your own searches online about discount dental plans, there are so many various options and plans out there that it can be a little overwhelming. The following websites are a small collection of reliable discount dental plan companies. First up is dental plans.com. This website will provide you with an amazingly large and diverse list of discount dental plans. To find out what plans are available in your area of the country, simply type in your zip code. Almost instantaneously you will see lists of plans useable in your location. You will also be able to search for providers in your location as well. Next is ehealthinsurance.com. This website offers a wonderful variety of discount dental plans. And you are given the option to pay an annual premium or to pay by the month.

Dental health is an important part of preserving one’s health. A quality dental plan makes economic sense. While most medical issues and treatments are unpredictable, most dental needs are predictable, usually not catastrophic, and are low cost and low risk. Many dental issues are preventable through semi-annual examinations including x-rays. Most dental plans provide such examinations with no additional charge to the patient. The sooner decay or disease is detected and treated, the less expensive that treatment will be as well as avoiding unnecessary pain or discomfort. With many plans, the participating dentist agrees to accept the fees established by the plans for most treatments. For certain more specialized treatments, reduced fees will be accepted by the participating dentist. n the meantime, the patient pays low monthly fees to the plan. Visiting the same dentist for all these services makes not only good economic sense due to the low cost but also for the advantage of being properly followed by a good qualified dentist, interested in your well being, who will, when necessary refer you to specialists appropriate for your individual special needs.

While dental benefit coverage and the cost of a plan is a definite consideration, whether it is managed care or fee for service care, it should not be the deciding factor in determining your choice of treatment or professional care. Managed cared dental plans emphasize cost containment by controlling the level of reimbursement for services. Fee for service dental plans offer freedom of choice arrangements under which a dentist is paid for each service rendered according to an established fee schedule.

Choose your dentist and then choose the dental plan appropriate for you, knowing that you will receive the best care for your dollar as your individual needs require.

With respect to special oral surgical requirements as advised by your dentist for such specialized procedures as crowns, bridges, dental implants, periodontal procedures as well as medically necessary surgical procedures, your dentist can help you decide the direction to take before investing in such procedures. Your dental plan will definitely minimize the costs of the care and treatments that will be certain to provide you with the best dental care, advice and direction for enhancing the quality of your life free from pain, discomfort and aggravation.

The Plan choices are varied. Some are self-funded which reimburse patients according to the cost of the treatment. Some are managed care with set levels of covered fees for various services, such as preventive care, such as semi-annual examinations and periodic x-rays. Coverage also extends to differences treatments for fillings, crowns, root canals, etc., with set fees payable to the dentist, usually with some co-pay from the patient.

Again, it is emphasized that you should first choose your dentist, then the appropriate dental plan according to your individual anticipated needs, and lastly considering the relatively low costs in comparison to medical insurance plans.

There can be grave consequences if you ignore your dental responsibilities. If you have unhealthy teeth they will cause many problems both health wise and financially. Some health problems can include bad breath, gum disease, gingivitis, cavities, tooth loss, severe headaches, various infections, and stomach aches. After these problems arise then comes the loss of your hard-earned money and once you start to pay the bills you will definitely wish you had taken care of those chompers.

Cavities not only hurt due to the exposing of the root of your teeth but they also cause extremely bad breath and tooth sensitivity. Cavities can also cause infections so bad that in a lot of cases pain will shoot along the jaw line and into your head giving you a tremendous headache. Unhealthy teeth will easily contract gum disease and gingivitis and eight out of ten times will cause tooth loss. Many infections and abscesses will also arise from poor dental habits.

Good dental habits must be started early on in life, if not the expenses will climb and never stop. Cavities are the start, and then tooth loss and gum disease, braces and retainers are almost certain. Not only will you loose even more teeth but teeth will have to be pulled and bridges, crowns, fillings and caps will also have to be installed. Eventually dentures or implants will be needed. A lot of people can not get used to dentures and most can’t afford implants so they are forced to go without, that means no steak, or corn on the cob, no apples, or chips, or at least there will be great difficulty when trying to eat many foods.

All of the above-mentioned items are very expensive. The average cost of the items above will vary but some of the costs can be; pulled tooth $80-$400, fillings up to $150, braces up to $20,000 over the course of treatment, dentures up to 50,000 over a lifetime, implants start at $10,000 and up to $75,000.

Dental problems can also hold you back socially including poor personal life and missed career opportunities. Many people have lost friends and dates due to terrible dental problems, some jobs even require good dental hygiene. The point is you must take care of your teeth, keep them healthy. If you don’t you will also go broke, unless you are Donald Trump, but if he had bad dental hygiene he would not be where he is either.