July 01, 2020
Whether you are looking into teeth whitening, dental bonding, veneers, implants, inlays, or dental contouring, making the decision to improve the appearance of this key facial feature can be expensive and you may be struggling to work out how you are going to finance your dream smile.
Fortunately, there are many options when it comes to paying for cosmetic dentistry, and you will be able to find one that works for you and your financial situation.
Ready to start flaunting rather than concealing your pearly whites? Keep reading to discover how you can be one step closer to the perfect Hollywood smile.
Start saving
Although this option isn’t for everyone, if you can manage to wait for a few months, or even a year, to have your cosmetic dentistry procedure carried out, you could pay for any treatment you want with a direct cash payment.
By choosing to save up for your chosen treatment and pay your dentist directly with cash, you may be able to negotiate a discount. However, this will mean a delay in your preferred procedure.
Head to Finder to discover the best savings accounts currently available to ensure you are maximizing your savings.
Take out a loan
This is arguably the best option if you have a more complex and expensive procedure to cover and it would take too long to save up for on your own. For example, a loan from Cash lady, a leading short-term lender, would be extremely useful for treatments such as veneers or dental implants.
The main benefits of this type of loan are that you are given a set schedule and interest rate for one specific cash amount that will cover your treatment, so you know exactly how much you need to pay back and when.
Use a credit card
If you want to have your cosmetic dental procedure carried out sooner rather than later, you may want to consider paying with a credit card. The advantages of this method are that most dentists will accept this form of payment, plus you can book your treatment right away.
However, there are downsides. Firstly, you need to check that your credit card has sufficient credit to cover your chosen procedure and then you need to check your interest rate and see if you will be able to comfortably afford the monthly repayments.
Check your insurance
Although not all dental insurance covers cosmetic procedures, it is worth checking to see what your policy does cover. You may find that it will pay for some of your treatment, leaving you to pay the remaining balance yourself.
Try haggling
People tend to fall into two categories; those who love to barter and those who can’t even entertain the thought of it. If you fall into the latter category, you may struggle with this solution, but it can save you some money.
Start by looking into the average cost of your preferred treatment in your area. If your dentist is one of the more expensive ones, you have a good argument for asking for a discount. If not, you can still try to negotiate – the worst that can happen is that they say no.
Alternatively, you could make the decision to choose a dentist from another practice for your preferred procedure to lower the cost of your treatment.
Try a dental school
You should be able to find a dental school in your area that offers affordable dental treatments carried out by dental students. Although this option isn’t for everyone, you can expect to pay as little as a third of what you would pay with a traditional dentist, and all procedures will be overseen by an experienced teacher.