Nothing is more stressful than dealing with medical and dental bills. If you are like many Americans and you can't afford dental insurance, you may wonder how on earth you will pay for simple things like cleanings or more complex things like dental crowns. Rather than completely skipping out on your dental care, there are a few ways that you may be able to afford dental care without having insurance. 

Ask About In-House Dental Plans

 A lot of dental offices now offer in-house dental plans which will cover two cleanings a year, X-rays, and a discount on all other services. The great thing about these dental plans is that they don't require any sort of identification paperwork; all you really need is payment and then you should be good to go. If you and your family need a dental plan, then make sure to ask your dentist about in-house family dental plans which may end up being much more affordable than if you were to buy individual plans for everyone. 

Medicaid Dental

For individuals who are disabled, meet certain requirements, or are over the age of 65, you may qualify for what is called Medicaid dental. Similar to Medicaid or Medicare for your general health, Medicaid dental care is subsidized by the government so that you can afford dental care. Because most patients over the age of 65 start to suffer from dental issues such as gum loss or bone loss and need dental prosthetics like dentures, dental implants, or dental crowns, the costs would add up really quickly if you were to pay out of pocket. However, when you have something like Medicaid dental, the majority (if not all) of the cost will be covered so that you don't have to pay. 

The only downfall with Medicaid dental is that not all dentists accept it. Before you schedule an appointment with your usual dentist, make sure that you call ahead of time and ask them if they accept Medicaid. If they don't, then contact your local Medicaid dental benefits office and ask them for a list of local providers. 

The tricky thing about not having dental insurance is that you don't want to go broke paying for dental care, but you also don't want to neglect your oral hygiene. To learn more about dental care plans or Medicaid dental plans, reach out to some providers near you today and see if they can give you some more details on these options.