Dental procedures are really expensive. And this is one of the biggest reasons that people avoid going to the dentist.
According to a report by the Federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, from 1996 to 2015, there was a 23% increase in the cost of dental care per person.
Having said that, putting your health at risk because of expensive dental procedures is not wise. Oral health is related to overall health and risking it, can lead to serious health issues, like heart problems.
Dental insurance plans are often sold separately as most medical plans do not cover it. Also, it should be noted that even if you have a dental insurance plan, it does not guarantee to cover the cost of an expensive procedure.
However, there are ways that can help you pay for your expensive medical procedure. For instance,
Insurance for Dental procedures
When you opt for medical insurance for dental work, it may offer coverage for the procedures it considers ‘medically important’. Also, these procedures may differ from provider to provider. As mentioned, dental health can potentially impact the rest of the body. And, there can be a slight difference between what’s considered a dental procedure and medical procedure. Hence, all dental procedures aren’t covered the dental insurance. So, if you opt for insurance for dental work, do not forget to ask the insurance company the procedures it will cover.
Payment plans offered by your dentist
Considering the fact that dental procedures aren’t cheap and people find it difficult to afford them, dental offices have introduced patient payment plans option. It allows patients to pay for dental work in convenient monthly installments. Hence, paying monthly becomes easier for the patients rather than paying an upfront lump sum amount. Some companies who offer payment plans consider checking their credit scores. However, there are companies such as Denefits, who instantly approves the customers as there is no credit score. This way you can afford any dental work and you are just required to pay a monthly amount.
A health savings account
A Health Savings Account or HSA is another option to finance your dental work. It gives you the ability to put pre-tax money each month and then use it to pay for medical expenses, which also include dental work. HSA also helps to lower your overall health care costs as it pre-taxed money.
Dental Loan
You can also consider taking a personal loan. A personal loan can be used for anything and because of its flexibility, people use it to pay out-of-pocket medical expenses. But it should be noted that personal loans have a higher rate of interest. So, paying back the amount may become challenging for people who are on fixed incomes.
