What do I do if my dentist is insisting on a procedure I can’t afford. I have lost two teeth. I was hoping to do a dental bridge, especially because one of the teeth adjacent to the lost teeth is cracked and needs a crown anyway. But, my dentist said it’s more important I get dental implants on the missing teeth. I’m not sure I can afford that. What do I do if I can’t afford the procedure I need?
Louis
Louis,
Wouldn’t it be great if money really did hatch out of an egg like the picture above? I have to tell you I think your dentist is being remarkably unfair. If I can’t afford a mansion, does that mean I should be homeless? Of course not! Maybe I can’t afford a mansion, but I can live in a gorgeous ranch house. That’s better than being on the street. Dental work can be the same way.
Sure, dental implants are the mansions of tooth replacements. But rather than have no teeth you could have that dental bridge you mentioned. Actually, in your case, it would make sense because you mentioned one of the adjacent teeth needs to be crowned anyway.
What If Your Dentist Insists on a Procedure?
If your dentist is unwilling to give you a bridge instead of implants, there are plenty of dentists out there who will work with you. You wouldn’t necessarily need to look for someone who advertises as an affordable dentist, but they’d certainly be willing to work with you. Honestly, I think more dentist would be willing to work with you than wouldn’t.
You should never feel pressured into a procedure you can’t afford. There are almost always alternatives. Your dentist is actually ethically obligated to give you all your options. If he’s not, he’s not doing his job. Also, there are sometimes temporary solutions for times when you can’t afford even the lowest tier of treatment. For instance, sometimes a patient can’t even afford a removable partial denture but they can afford a dental flipper.
Those are only meant to be temporary, so they can have something while they save up. Though, often, Dr. Bolt is willing to allow patients to get the permanent solution and pay it out gradually. This way they’re not having to pay for two treatments.
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