You can prioritize your family’s dental care without breaking the bank.

Medical expenses like dental bills can be a stressor when you’re on a budget and don’t have dental insurance. However, with a little time and careful planning, you can feel less stressed and even look forward to your biannual visits with your family dentist.

Here are 5 ways you can make dental care affordable when you don’t have dental insurance.

1. Don’t skip routine dental care appointments and cleanings.

It’s tempting to want to skip those six-month dental checkups and cleanings. After all, your teeth feel fine and you stick to a great at-home dental care routine. But does this really save money in the long run?

Preventive care appointments are your first line of defense against cavities, gum disease, and damaged teeth. The sooner your dentist spots signs of tooth decay and gum inflammation, the sooner you can receive treatment. Treatment for a small cavity, such as a simple filling, will also be less expensive than a large cavity that may require root canal therapy and a dental crown.

2. Use CareCredit to pay off dental treatment in monthly payments.

CareCredit is a special healthcare credit card designed specifically to help pay for medical expenses, including dental bills. CareCredit is easy to apply for right in our office, and it offers an instant credit decision so you can start treatment right away.

CareCredit doesn’t reduce the cost of your dental bills as it isn’t a form of dental insurance, but it does offer a helping hand with making payments more affordable for your family. Rather than being overwhelmed with a large expense, you can instead make smaller monthly payments.

If you have a different credit card you’d like to use, Wohlers Family Dentistry also accepts Visa, Mastercard, Discover, and American Express.

3. Create sinking funds for biannual visits and emergencies.

A sinking fund is a budgeting tactic that makes planning for future expenses much easier by setting aside a small amount every month.

Let’s take biannual dental checkups and cleanings as an example. These happen every six months so you have a very good idea of when you’ll need to reach your savings goal. Rather than putting aside a lump sum to cover the cost of your checkup, take the total cost of the checkup and divide it by six months. You can further divide this by paycheck so you know exactly how much to set aside when you get paid.

You can also do a sinking fund for emergencies or unplanned future treatment appointments. Putting a little away each month gives you peace of mind knowing you’ll have something saved in the event a dental emergency occurs.

4. Look for a dental practice that offers a membership savings plan.

More dentists than ever are offering membership savings plans for their patients. These membership plans are ideal for all types of patients but are especially useful for individuals and families without dental insurance.

We offer the Wohlers VIP Club for our uninsured patients.

The Wohlers VIP Club has three membership options: Adults (13+), Kids (12 and below), and Perio (patients with periodontal disease). All memberships have a $99 lifetime activation fee, which also includes your first month. Monthly fees for Adults are $30, Kids are $25, and Perio is $5.

For a small fee every month, you’re covered for professional cleanings, checkups with Dr. Wohlers, X-rays, and even an emergency exam. Best of all, if treatment is needed, you’ll receive an automatic 10% off.

Read more about our VIP Club here.

5. Ask your family dentist about possible treatment alternatives.

The subject of finances is a sensitive one, but it’s often worth explaining to your dentist that you and your family are on a tight budget. One major benefit being that your dentist can work with you and your budget to find treatment alternatives that are best suited for your financial situation.

While postponing dental treatment altogether is never an option, there is actually a lot that can be done for treatment alternatives. For example, let’s say you have a damaged tooth that needs an extraction. Dental implants are a fantastic solution with a number of oral health benefits, but they are more expensive. Rather than going without a tooth, Dr. Wohlers can offer an alternative, such as a dental bridge. This fills the gap in your smile and also gives you time to save up for a permanent dental implant.

Opening up about something as personal as finances can make you feel vulnerable, but rest assured you are in a completely judgment-free zone at Wohlers Family Dentistry. We want the very same thing you do: incredible dental care with as least financial stress as possible.

Let the Wohlers Family Dentistry team help you financially plan for your family’s appointments.

When you’re ready to meet Dr. Wohlers and the team, all you need to do is call our Marietta office or fill out this quick online form. From there, we’ll get to work booking your family’s appointments and getting all of you on track to beautiful, healthy smiles.