There are certain dental procedures that can be temporarily put off until you have enough money to pay for them out-of-pocket.
On the other hand, there are dental emergencies, such as a tooth that’s been knocked out, a badly chipped tooth, or a tooth that has become infected.
Whether you have the money or not, you need to get to the dentist if you are going to save your tooth and your health. The following are some options that could help you.
Why Do People Need Help with Dental Bills?
Between 1996 and 2015, the average cost of dental care jumped by 23 percent. What makes matters more challenging is that 29 percent of Americans do not have dental coverage.
Those who do have dental coverage say that their private insurance will only cover around 43 percent of the cost. That means the other 47 percent has to come out of their pocket. This has led many people to turn to dental financing.
Dental financing is where you borrow money to pay for treatment and then repay the borrowed money on a monthly basis. Most financing means paying some type of fee and interest as you pay the money back.
The Benefits of Using Medical Credit Cards
Medical credit cards share similarities with normal credit cards. The only difference is that a medical credit card can only be used in medical situations.
Some medical credit cards come with deferred interest. If a person is able to pay off their balance within a set amount of time, they could avoid paying interest.
As with a traditional credit card, the institution that provides the medical credit card is going to check your payment history and credit score to make sure that you have a good history of repaying your loans.
Check and See What Your Health Insurance Covers
Your insurance provider might cover dental work that has been deemed medically necessary. This is evaluated by the insurance company on a case-by-case basis.
There are some circumstances where your dental health affects the rest of your body. A dental condition could cross the line to where it could be considered a medical procedure.
For example, if you have oral surgery, it may be billed as a medical procedure. However, getting a cavity filled would usually be billed as a dental procedure. It’s a good idea to have a discussion with your medical insurance provider to see if you are covered before having a procedure done.
What to Do with Dental Emergencies When You Have No Fallback
As we mentioned, many Americans do not have dental insurance, and some cannot have dental emergencies covered by their health insurance.
Some people have the ability to use their savings account or get a credit card to cover their dental emergency. However, many will find they do not have a good enough credit score to qualify for a medical credit card.
Thankfully, there are alternative funding options that may help get you through unexpected medical emergencies, such as flex loans. Flex loans should only be considered if and when you are facing an unexpected emergency situation and do not have enough savings to cover it.
You may have a dental emergency that prevents you from being able to work. In these circumstances, taking out a loan to cover the dental work and then making a plan to pay the loan back quickly could allow you to continue working.
It’s impossible to know when a dental emergency will arise. When they do arise, having a plan in place can help you protect both your oral health and your financial health for years to come.
