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Finding affordable dental plans is something that is just a pain. Just like regular health insurance, distinguishing the major differences between what makes a plan good verses your immediate care needs or the needs of your family can be both confusing and frustrating.

In a down economy there are other things working against a lot of people too, namely cash flow. It’s difficult enough to fit paying for dental care into your budget because it’s just not something that seems life threatening or needs immediate attention, that is, until you wake up with a major tooth ache, break or chip a tooth, get in an accident and knock out a few teeth, etc. The list goes on. What do you do then? Here are a few options that you should consider.

Finding a dentist that will accept payments

They’re out there, but you’ll pay through the nose. Most require a substantial down payment and will charge you full price with interest. Hey, the world is a tough place to be and they’ve got you over a barrel. It’s either pay up or live with the pain, discomfort and embarrassment. Oh, they’ll also be running a credit check on you.

Local Dental Schools

Many colleges and universities have dental schools that offer care at a reduced rate. The work will be performed by students that are under the supervision of licensed professionals. The two big drawbacks here are:

#1. These only offer limited care such as teeth cleaning, extractions, etc. If you need major work you’re likely out of luck.

#2. A lot of people know about these services and it’s usually hard to be seen unless you’re lucky.

Dental Insurance

Dental insurance is not exactly what most people think it is. Some folks actually believe that they can spend money on a policy and then instantly get all of their dental work done. Well, I’m sorry to disappoint you but that’s not how it works. The term “insurance” means that it is a plan that is designed to provide you protection “in the event of” something unexpected happening to you, NOT things that have already happened. You’ll get a reduced rate on basic care like your cleanings and x-rays, but you’ll still have to pay an annual deductible and co-pay for office visits. Also, you won’t be eligible for assistance with your existing condition(s) until you’ve waited a mandatory 12 months and even then at a greatly reduced coverage.

Discount Dental Plans

These are not insurance in any way. What a discount plan does is provide a discounted rate at the time of your visit. Some discounts can be as high as 50-60% on certain procedures.

Discount plans can be a very good option in some ways, however they also have their drawbacks. For example, you must join the plan and, in most cases, pay an annual fee. This is usually affordable. Then you are restricted to seeing only dentists and specialists within the network of the plan. You can usually find a good dentist, but you may not be able to keep your current provider unless they join the network too. This is a BIG deal for many people because they may have grown accustomed to their dentist.

Also, even though you’ll receive a reduced rate with a discount plan, you must pay for all services performed in full at the time of each appointment. This is still better than paying full price, but if you’re not prepared for it, but the costs, even discounted costs, can still add up if you’re not prepared for it.

These are all just options that are available to you. Each person or family will have different needs, circumstances and budgets. These are just a guideline for knowing what’s available when you’re in need of affordable dental care.