Question: I am unsure, but I may have an abscessed tooth. I do not currently have dental insurance, and with the cost of dental care, I have been putting off going to the dentist because I do not have the money for treatment. I am having some pain issues now.  

Answer: Sadly, deferring dental care is never a good idea since, as you can see, it generally only leads to larger and, yes, more costly dental care treatment. Yet you still have some options left.  

1) you can buy a low-cost dental discount plan. They run around $10.00 a month. These plans will help reduce your dental care cost at plan providers. They also normally are effective the next business day, which is important since you should see a dentist right away before your infection spreads and causes not only oral health issues but overall health problems.

2) You can buy a lower-cost HMO insurance plan, like a discount plan. You will need to go to plan providers, but they normally will not have any plan waiting periods, which is what you will want. However, generally, they are not effective until the next month you buy them. Though they all have different cut-off dates, make sure you know before purchasing the effective date so you can make a dental appointment immediately.  

3) You can see about going to a dental school. If you have any local dental schools near you, this is a good way to get much lower-cost dental care. However, you may not be able to get in the right way, so that is something you will need to look into.

4) See if there are any dental clinics near you. Generally, dental clinics provide their dental treatment services at a lower cost. Sometimes, their prices are based on what you can afford to pay.

I hope you find the above options helpful in finding a solution to your dental care needs. It’s important to address dental issues promptly to prevent further complications. Take care, and I wish you all the best in finding a suitable and affordable dental care option.

Taking Away the Fear and Anxiety from Your Dental Visit with Conscious Sedation. 

We are someone, or we know someone, who has had bad experiences with their dentist or is afraid of any dental pain. Sometimes this leads to high anxiety for many, making them avoid regular dental care because of anxiety and fear. However, with Conscious Sedation, you will be able to be in a comfortable and relaxed state of mind. Conscious Sedation Dentistry is administered by simply taking a pill. No need to worry if your body will act funny because all body functions will remain completely normal. The advantages to conscious sedation are that the pill is easy to administer, safe and easy to monitor, works well for most people, and can be given at a low cost. Also, unlike anesthesia, where a patient is completely unconscious, under conscious sedation, can respond to commands or questions. With conscious sedation, there is no real reason why you should not take care of your dental health and see your dentist regularly. Talk to your dentist about conscious sedation and see if this is a good choice.

I live in Washington and my son is seven and is fearful about going to the dentist.  Every time I do take him which is only twice a year he makes such a fuss.  He really is scared and I do not know how to make thing easier for him.  I want for him to understand that there is nothing to be scared about since I do not want him to grow up afraid of going to the dentist and therefore not getting the dental care he needs.   Would love to have some good advise.  Thanks

My daughter has a dental appointment to have one of her baby teeth pulled. The baby tooth she needs pulled is not loose but has to be pulled so that her adult tooth will come in.  My daughter is upset that she is going to have to have this tooth pulled and she does not want to get it done

I told her that since it is a baby tooth it will not hurt her all that much and her dentist will do everything he can so she does not feel any pain during the process.  This seems to be okay for now but I would love some additional advise in case things changes when she has to goes to get her tooth pulled.

My question is can a baby just have rotten baby teeth?  My good friend baby is just now cutting his first few baby teeth.  However the teeth that are coming out look rotten.  His teeth  are grayish white in color.  She does not know why this is happening.

I told her since she asked for my opinion that she should take him to see a dentist. That I am not sure if babies can be born with bad teeth or bad teeth color.  My sons teeth were white.

If she does take her son to see a dentist will a dentist be able to fixed her son’s teeth?  I would like to be able to get her some helpful information.  Since she is afraid of what the dentist is going to say about her son’s teeth.