Can you pay off dentists, or do you have to pay upfront?!
Question:
Can you pay off dentists, or do you have to pay upfront?
Hi,
Have a bit of a problem, too much soft drink has begun to rot my teeth and i have various hole beginning to form on my front teeth. My two back molars had already began to crack and break off. I have been putting off going to the dentist for some months as i am in a pretty bad financial state at the moment. It seems i can't put it off any longer as they are starting to hurt. I haven't been to the dentist since i was about 12 and i was under my mothers medicare card, being 22 this is no longer the case. Basically i'm wondering if most dentists expect you to pay upfront or are you sent a bill for work done? I'm going to be up for a few grand worth of work, and don't see an easy solution at this point in time.
Answers:
Generally, if you are uninsured then you are expected to pay up front. However, even with insurance, some dentists don't bill it, so you'd still have to pay up front, but then file a claim with your Provider to get your money back. Otherwise, if the dentist DOES bill insurance, you will usually be asked to pay your deductible after your visit, which is often 20% (or often free in the case of preventive cleanings and routine checkups).
In all cases, if you can't afford to pay it all at once at the time of your visit, most dentists can set you up on a payment plan. Best thing to do is to call your dentist and explain the situation, and more than likely they will have a way to help you out.