I’ve had a rough time financially over the last few years, and have not had dental insurance, but do have medical insurance. I need to see a dentist. I have not the money for a dentist. At this point, there are a couple of issues. Not the least which is bonding I had about 10 years ago that needs some tending to. My teeth haven’t reached a stage where it’s an emergency yet, but I can see it coming, and I’d rather not get to that point.
As a positive, my aunt is a dental hygeinist (can’t figure out how to spell that) here in town; she has a master’s and does free-lance, so she knows and has worked for very many dentists in this town. I haven’t talked to her about it yet, and I’d rather not if I didn’t have to.
Does anyone know if dentists routinely do pro bono work? I know they have “low-income” dental clinics here, but a friend of mine had to go to one last year, and he ended up paying about the same as a regular dentist. They didn’t even ask his income. And needing some cosmetic as well as traditional dental work, surely a regular dentist would be more appropriate?
At any rate, do dentists contribute services to the poor?
I believe that some dentists do work voluntarily in local clinics here. And certainly at one stage the Dental Hospital (attached to the faculty of Dentistry at Sydney Uni) used to offer free treatment - as long as you didn’t mind being treated by practising final year students.
If the time came when I absolutely had to, I would. I’d rather not if I didn’t have to, though. My aunt and I are very close, and we spend a lot of time together. I really don’t want to burden that easy time spent with her with the feeling that I owe her, and her feeling that she owes someone else (the dentist). I’ve thought this through, and am approaching this in this way at first to see if it’s feasible. I do thank you for your input, but the question is not “Should I ask my aunt for help”, it’s “Do dentists do pro bono work?”
The dental school at my alma mater did low-fee work for the local low-income folks as well as for the students. I bet UofA does something similar if they have a dental school.
I’ll second and third and, is it fourth yet? what everyone else is saying. If you can find a nearby University with a dental school, that’s your best bet.
A few years ago I had the same situation: extremely tight budget, no insurance, and a cavity that was hurtin’ like a mhotrefckuer. I actually ended up getting 4 fillings and a wisdom tooth extracted by 3rd year dental students for a small fraction of what it would cost elsewhere.
The interesting thing is, I think the quality of the work is actually better because everything is done by the book and with professors breathing over students’ backs so they don’t take any shortcuts.
Thanks, LSLGuy! That’s exactly what I was looking for. My search-fu wasn’t working very well.
I shall inquire about the U of A on Monday. I’m feeling very nervous, I have such a dental phobia that I can easily have a panic attack as soon as I sit in a dental chair. It’s the only time I’ve ever had panic attacks, when I sit in that chair. I’ve had a root canal gone seriously, horribly awry. That’ll do it. So I kind of feel good about confronting it before I’ve procrastinated so long that I wait way too long to make it easy or cheap, as is my wont.
On further review, seems U of A has no dental program. But the link showed me some things that apply. And even ASU isn’t that far away, an hour and a half.