Your teeth should be important to you because you only get one set of them. Unfortunately, paying for dental services can be a real killer to your pocketbook. Even if you have insurance, not all procedures are covered, and not all of them are covered in full.

If you’re going to get the work done though, you need to figure out a way to pay your dentist. The fact is that it might be simpler than you think to get the essential work that you need done, from teeth whitening Charlotte NC residents love, to root canals that get you out of pain in a real hurry.

Use this guide to help you learn more about paying for dental care when insurance won’t cover everything, or you don’t have insurance at all.

Find Discount Plans

Not all dentists offer second-hand discount plans, but many do. These discount plans aren’t like insurance, but they can help you get lower rates by paying a monthly premium.

In most cases, the monthly premium that you will pay is less than $25. If that gets you a 40% discount on dental services that cost a considerable amount of money, it would be a bit crazy to not buy one.

Talk to your dentist about any discount plans they offer or recommend. Many will allow you to use a discount plan in addition to a payment plan so you can get treatment immediately.

Get a Second Opinion

Most people go to one dentist for everything. If you’ve found one that you can talk and relate to, the idea of going to somebody else could be a little bit alarming. The fact of the matter is that dentist all charge different rates.

While there might be a sort of going rate for a procedure, many dentists who run their own practices can give you discounts. Like any business, proprietors can charge what they want to customers.

Don’t be afraid to seek a second opinion when you’re getting dental work done. If you’re not in pain, taking an extra day or two likely won’t make the situation any worse. Just don’t wait too long to get the procedure done because you’re shopping around.

In most cases, one or two other opinions is all you really need to figure out what is the going price for a certain procedure.