You are at your annual dental checkup. Your dentist has just delivered the unwelcome news: you will be needing significant work done this time around (think dental implants--a lengthy and costly procedure). The estimated cost is a blow to your household budget. What to do?

Let’s take a look at some pros and cons of financing dental work.

First, Negotiate with your Provider

Pricing: If your dentist believes that the health of your teeth and your overall health depend on your getting the dental work done, ask whether the price is negotiable.

The payment plan: Sometimes, even with dental insurance, the copayment for major dental work is significant enough that you need to negotiate a payment plan.

• If you have no dental insurance, check to see whether the dentist is willing to reduce the price of the dental work you need. Or, if he/she will allow you to make payments that fit within your household budget.
• Negotiating with your dentist is a great option because the cost is unlikely to have interest fees attached.
• Ask whether the dental work needs to be done right away. There may be some time for you to save up at least some of the cost beforehand.

Dental Financing Options

CareCredit: The American Dental Association has endorsed CareCredit. It has a number of payment programs—including a short-term, no-interest option. The programs allow you to make payments on any type of dental procedure. They also cover copayments and deductibles if you have dental insurance.

This may be a good choice for dental financing because you can choose a plan that fits your budget.

Low interest credit cards: If you have good credit and a low interest credit card, and you know that you will be able to make payments on time, this may be a reasonable choice for your dental care.

Clinics

Dental schools: Schools of dentistry have clinics that offer lower cost dental procedures done by dental faculty and by advanced students under the watchful eye of dental faculty. This is a great option if you have a dental school nearby.

State dental associations: You can locate your state’s dental association by clicking here. This is a helpful resource for locating clinics in your area.

Other Options

Older adults: Visit Tooth Wisdom to identify any resources in your geographic location.

Children: The federal Children’s Health Insurance Program—or CHIP—currently is funded through September 2015. You can find information about that resource here.

Options to Avoid

Payday loans and high interest loans: These are costly loans with tight due dates that add much more to the price of that dental work. Any missed or late payments could hurt your credit rating, too.

The bottom line is this: your dental health also affects your overall health so it is important to find a way to finance any dental work you need.

The good news is that you do have a number of options available to help you finance necessary dental procedures to keep your great smile and good health.