Starting Your Own Business? How to Afford Dental Care

You’ve no doubt heard of the Great Resignation. Whether you’re part of the 5.4 million people who applied for a new business application in 2021 or if you have already made the leap to self-employment, chances are one thing you may have lost in the process is your dental insurance. 

A new report from the National Institutes of Health states that “Good oral health is fundamental for overall health and well-being. It contributes to effective chewing and healthy nutrition, speech, social confidence, and – in the case of older adults – better cognitive and functional capacity.” The report goes on to state that poor oral health has widespread negative impacts on individuals, communities and the entire nation.

Yet still, dental care is typically the first health service to be delayed or dropped.

This deprioritizing of dental care can be dangerous. The impact of delaying or skipping dental care stretches beyond just physical health, to your financial wellbeing as well. As dental issues go untreated, they can become bigger and more expensive issues. 

Your Options for Quality, Affordable Dental Care

Many people don’t know that there are affordable solutions available to help contract workers and the self-employed community afford both the preventive and restorative dental care they need. Here are three primary options you may want to consider:

Forego a Dental Plan

Choosing to be without a dental plan of some kind means you will be responsible for the full price of dental care. If you are considering this option, it could be a good idea to research the average cost of dental care in your area and weigh that against your other choices below.

Purchase Dental Insurance

Dental insurance is a great choice if you want to maintain already-excellent oral health. With insurance, essential preventive care such as checkups and cleanings are typically very affordable when performed by an in-network provider. Depending on the plan you purchase, you may also get reduced rates on other dental treatments. Be sure to check your insurance plan documentation for specifics, as some only cover preventive care. Also, insurance may have restrictions on when you qualify for reductions on restorative treatments and may have a limit on how much it will pay for each year. These circumstances may be okay if you have healthy teeth and gums, though if you have existing oral health challenges that need to be addressed right away, you may want to consider an alternative solution.

Join a Dental Savings Club

Dental savings club memberships are an affordable alternative to traditional dental insurance that provide plan members with half off their dental bill, according to extensive customer surveys, on most dental procedures, including preventive and restorative care, at any participating provider nationwide. Like a warehouse membership, you pay one annual fee to access savings all year.

While traditional insurance has annual maximums, deductibles and waiting periods on costly procedures like root canals, bridges, crowns, braces and more, dental savings club memberships do not. After joining, savings can be used in just 1-3 business days (some with emergency, same-day activation) and even existing dental issues already being treated can be included in the savings. Dental savings club memberships can be used as often as needed, and many also include additional wellness savings, such as discounts on vision and hearing care, telehealth, prescription drugs and more. Family plans are also available and can include everyone in your household.

If you thought dental care wouldn’t fit into your new business’ budget, now you have a few dental savings options you can consider, to help you stay healthy as you enter your new venture.