Help Paying for Dentures

Help Paying for Dentures – There are many people that need help paying for dentures because the procedure is pretty expensive. Some might think that there are some grants for dentures available from foundations or even from the government, but sadly it is merely a rumor in the United States. Therefore, please beware if there’s someone calling you and offer grant programs for dentures because it is highly probably that it is a scam.

The cost of the denture can range widely, mostly depending on the type of denture you choose. Low-end denture cost is up to $500, a standard mid-range denture cost is around $500 to $1,500, and the high-end denture can cost up to $3,000. These are all cost per tooth! You also have to include the dental services cost, sedation cost, and other dental procedures needed to prepare your mouth for the denture. So it is pretty expensive.

help-paying-for-dentures

How Do I Get Help Paying for Dentures

Fortunately, there are several ways to get assistance in paying for dentures or other major dental procedures. This includes:

Medicaid Program

The Medicaid program aims to cover the basic health necessities of low income people. While many people think that it’s only available for general health, it can also cover dental procedures. However, the main question would be: which procedure is covered? The recent federal law has ruled out the dental benefits obligation (for adults) from each state. This means that the states have their independence to determine which dental procedures that are covered in their state’s Medicaid program. If you are still under 19 and you are in Medicaid program, then you’re in luck because the Federal Law mandates that every state should give full dental coverage through the CHIP (Children Health Insurance Program).

The current law made the Medical dental coverage becomes varied, with 6 states offer no dental benefits, 16 states offer only emergency dental services, 13 states offer major dental services with exceptions (crown/dentures, root canals), and 16 states offer all dental services. It is also important to remember that there are some states (6 of them) that come with an annual limit. You can find more information on this matter from your state’s Medicaid office.

Now I am sure you are interested in these 16 states, right? They are New Mexico, Alaska, Connecticut, Washington, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Nebraska, California, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, District of Columbia, New Jersey, and Wisconsin.

NOTE: Usually the assistance from Medicaid program is given for procedures that are medically necessary.

Other Assistance Paying for Dentures

If you are not qualified for Medicaid, you should consider getting a dental insurance. However, dental insurance (just like other insurance plans) is something you buy when you’re healthy. If you are currently having a toothache and need dental work immediately, then I suggest you don’t buy the dental insurance right away because for major dental work like dentures and root canal there will be waiting periods. Typically a dental insurance plan will require you to wait for about a year before you can use the denture benefit. If you think that you can hold on for another one or two years, you can apply for dental insurance.

There’s also the dental discount plan, which sometimes doesn’t have waiting periods for this kind of procedure. However, many people claim on various forums that the discount is not that significant, especially in major procedures. You can also choose to use a credit card or apply for a loan, but we don’t recommend anyone to do this unless you are in an emergency that needs a denture. Stay away as far as possible from loans, especially for the Muslims, please avoid RIBA!!

We encourage you to consult the dentist about your inability to pay for dentures. Some dental offices in the United States offer a sliding scale payment system based on income, which makes dentures more affordable for those in need. Of course, you may need to provide some proof of your household income using tax forms or other documents. You can find clinics that provide low cost or sliding scale payment services using the needy meds website in our reference section below.

I think we’ve laid out all the possibilities that we can think of. Please share your thoughts about this matter and tell us how you get help paying for dentures or other major dental work!

Related Articles:

Image: grandavenuedentistry.com