Tag Archives: can’t afford dentist

Is My Dentist Trying to Scare Me?

I went to my dentist after saving up for a while because I don’t have dental insurance. During the appointment, he told me I had a tooth infection. I knew my tooth had been hurting which is why I started saving to begin with, but the tooth stopped hurting. He wanted to schedule a follow-up appointment right away, but I don’t have money for two appointments. I told him I’d have to get back with him. That’s when he told me if I put it off, that the infection could kill me by getting to my heart, brain, or lungs. Is this true or is he just trying to scare me to get me to come back?

Amy

Dear Amy,

Let’s start with why your tooth stopped hurting. When your infection first set in, there was pain. As the infection progressed, however, the pulp of your tooth died so it stopped hurting. Unfortunately, that didn’t end the infection. It is continuing to spread.

As to your dentist trying to scare you, I can’t tell you exactly how urgent your particular infection is because I haven’t examined you. What your dentist said is true. Tooth infections can spread to your heart, lungs, and brain. Believe it or not, people still die from dental infections. This is why tooth infections are considered dental emergencies.

As I said earlier, I didn’t examine you so I can’t tell you how advanced your infection is. It may be that he felt you weren’t taking the situation seriously enough so he wanted to impress upon you not to just ignore this.

I understand that money is a challenge. COVID has made it nearly impossible for many people to keep up with their dental care. One thing I know about dentists is that many of them are compassionate and went into their field with a desire to help people.

The first thing I would do is explain to your dentist your financial situation and how long it took you to save up for your appointment. Make sure he understands that you are taking it seriously but that you are in a difficult financial situation. He may offer to give you the treatment you need and then allow you to pay off the cost of treatment over time. If he doesn’t, there are dentists that will. Just call around. You will find someone.

This blog is brought to you by Lafayette, LA Dentists Drs. Foreman and Thimmesch.

When Can We Stop Going to the Dentist?

We’ve always been very diligent about going to the dentist. Our children have never had cavities. Recently, my husband was laid off. Is it OK for us to skip the dentists for a while, just until he’s found a new job?

Mindy  – Ft. Worth, TX

Mindy,

I understand your question completely. Here in Louisiana, the oil industry as been hit pretty hard and a lot of people are without work.  One of the things dentists tend to notice is that when people try to save money by skipping their check-ups and cleanings, they end up spending more. Here’s why.

Especially in children,  things can change quickly with the condition of teeth. Without regular check ups, early warning signs of decay are likely to get missed. That means more extensive (and expensive) treatments are necessary.

My suggestion, during this time of financial difficulty, is to talk to your dentist and work out payment plans. There are even no interest payment plans.

Dentists want to help people. Communication is the key.

This blog is brought to you by Dr. Mike Malone.

Avoid the Emergency Room For Dental Emergencies

Just thought I’d let your patients know that if they have a dental emergency and don’t think they can afford a dentist, they’re wasting their time going to the emergency room. I had a toothache, but didn’t have the money to do anything about it. So, because emergency medical things are covered, I thought I could beat the system by going to the emergency room. It was a complete waste of time.  They essentially gave me two ibuprofen and sent me on my way.  They did nothing for the toothache. All I did was waste my time.

Mercedes L. – Boston

Mercedes,

Your experience is quite common. Mostly that is because doctors aren’t trained for dental work, nor do they have the equipment.

There are ways to get emergency dental care without money. One is to call a dentist and just tell them your situation.  Most dentist are compassionate and will work with you.  There are also low interest and even no interest payment plans.

It is important that you get this looked at, so don’t put it off any further. There will be a dentist that will work with you. But, if you put it off, what could just be the beginning of a problem will turn into a serious infection and will spread.

This blog is brought to you by Louisiana Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Mike Malone.