Finding a Dentist When You Have No Money

You're up late at night with intense tooth pain, but you don't have insurance and you don't have enough money in the bank to afford a trip to the dentist. What do you do? Is the situation hopeless? Unfortunately, the American health care system has seen to it that people in a bad financial situation have a hard time finding the medical treatment they need. The problem is even worse for dental concerns, which aren't covered by traditional health plans, either. Even those with a good health insurance plan will find themselves left out in the cold when it comes to their teeth. So what do you do? Health Department Every community has a public health department. Often times, these places will employ a dentist to perform dental work on those who don't have the resources to pay their own way. Will you get the best treatment possible by going this route? No, unfortunately you won't. A person with a serious cavity has a number of options when they can pay for regular appointments. There are fillings, root canals, and other solutions. Someone who can't pay is probably going to have to have the tooth pulled. Of course, this is better than nothing. Contact Social Services Talk to social workers in your city and find out what kinds of resources are available to people in your situation. You may have to fill out some paperwork, but they will be able to lead you in the right direction to find a dentist. You may be able to qualify for Medicaid, giving you the insurance you need to get the care you require. There are a lot of options out there that the average person doesn't know about because they never bother to ask. Don't count on internet research to solve your problem. Call around and find out for sure where your best options lie. Dental School No, the answer to your problem is not to enroll in dental school, but rather to find out if any of the schools in your area provide care for a reduced price, if not free of charge. Dental students have to have some practice in order to graduate. For that practice, they need patients. Talk to the school and see if there's any way you can schedule an appointment to come in. You'll get a high level of care, even if it is from students learning their craft. A professional dentist will always be supervising the appointment and can step in at any time.