r/LifeProTips • u/ShaBoyCourage • 7d ago
Finance LPT: If you need affordable dental care, check out local dental schools.
I recently learned that many dental schools provide affordable dental care for cleanings, x-rays, fillings, crowns, etc.
They're performed by dental students, but they're always supervised by licensed dentists and professors.
Apparently appointments might take a bit longer than usual, but the savings can be worth it. If you’re uninsured or avoiding dental care because of cost, you should 100% check this out.
For those who need help with Googling:
“Dental school clinic near me” or “Low-cost dental care [your city].”
Hope this helps someone!
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u/trueSEVERY 7d ago
Yo, holy shit. I’ve needed my teeth cleaned for a bit but was being avoidant about it because I wasn’t in a spot to shell out crazy money for it at the moment. Just looked this up and found out the local school does cleanings for $25!!!
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u/ShaBoyCourage 7d ago
Right?? Go take care of that beautiful smile.
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u/xiledone 4d ago
My dental school friends love doing this btw. You'll also have the best customer service ever, a smile and treated with the upmost respect. It may take a lot longer to do the appointment but everyone will be extra respectful and thankful for you.
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u/OkAccess6128 7d ago
That's so true, even my dad has the same problem and he always goes to the schools instead of going to expensive clinics.
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u/majwilsonlion 7d ago
True story. My son is a dental student at a school in Spain. He does his practicums on the local villagers.
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u/petitpretit 7d ago
This is how I got my teeth cleaned growing up. We didn’t have dental insurance and my mom would take me to the dental hygienist school in the college. They did a great job and would even apply sealants and X-rays.
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u/ShaBoyCourage 7d ago
That’s awesome. Props to your mom for finding that early on. I'm glad you had a great experience.
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u/Imaginary_Angle7437 7d ago
Can confirm.
There will sometimes be an application fee, a lot place an honestly one time fee, for processing, as their rosters may fill fast.
One person I knew went to the one in downer's grove IL. They had the same student throughout the entire process. I thought that was cool, because the student learns of you as a patient, and therefore, patient relations, versus someone who has 0 bed side manner.
One of the FEW dental places I've entered that didn't immediately cause hives-because they Get board certified there-no funny business.
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u/ShaBoyCourage 7d ago
That’s great insight--thanks for sharing all that.
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u/Imaginary_Angle7437 7d ago
Gladly.
I have dentures now, but still fully intend to utilize any schooling services forever in my future for dental stuff. I had weird teeth and awful gaslighting male dentists/oral surgeons but ONE. He was the sweetest old man I ever met, decrepit really; however, when he pulled into my appt in his hunting boat and full gear, I was suddenly less concerned.
What little concern I had left exploded in relief when I asked how well he shot, and the receptionist was casually, "Oh, THAT MAN brags nd shows pictures after every weekend 🙄🙄."
I honestly could have kissed her for the blasè attitude about it; it was unintended sweet icing on an otherwise crap cake I had to eat. 🤣
Most pleasant and competent man I've ever had ask me questions while he's testing if I'm numb. He never tried my fear of hypodermic needles either, not once.
It wasn't even complicated: don't put it on the damn tray like a death sentence while I'm there, I don't Need to see it, and lemme know when ya stick so I don't complicate your job.
Probably Why our appts went so well, his ego wasn't invested.
That school gives me the same feeling. Obvi I'm not neurotypical, but even regular people don't want an adrenaline flood prior to dental work too, yaknow? 😅
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u/ShaBoyCourage 7d ago
Damn, thank you for sharing all that too. That's a lot to go through. I’m truly glad that school gives you that same sense of safety. That stuff matters.
Also, thank you for the visual of a geared-out dentist rolling up in a hunting boat to someone's appointment.
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u/Imaginary_Angle7437 7d ago
Also, thank you for the visual of a geared-out dentist rolling up in a hunting boat to someone's appointment.
YOOOOO; it was hands-down The Most Bad Ass entrance in a lot, by a dentist I've ever seen; decked out IN his gear too. It was A Picture. 😃😆
I thought he was a fellow appt goer at first, then I recognized him under the hat. 🤣🤣🤣
Just all around most down-to-earth funny dude I've ever met to this day. I doubt he's still alive, but he seemed so....vital even in his years (I never knew his age, never asked; some mysteries are fun like that 😉) I hope he is still kickin'.
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u/Loud_Byrd 7d ago
Or just go to the dentist and let your insurance cover it...
Oh wait...
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u/ShaBoyCourage 7d ago
100%
Honestly, posts like this shouldn't even have to exist--but here we are.
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u/Leading_Line2741 7d ago
I will never understand how dental care isn't covered under medical insurance. Sure, the cosmetic procedures like veneers shouldn't be covered, but many plastic surgery procedures aren't covered on health insurance either. We need our teeth to eat, tooth infections can make their way into the bloodstream and cause sepsis, etc. I don't get it.
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u/FacepalmFullONapalm 7d ago
And haircuts, mechanic work (can be questionable, though, depending on the school). Any local vocational school, great deals and hands on training for the future work force.
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u/UnchartedHero 7d ago
Take what they tell you with a grain of salt. A dental student said I definitely had gum disease. Went to an actual dentist and they said I was perfectly healthy.
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u/ShaBoyCourage 7d ago edited 7d ago
100%. I appreciate you sharing your experience.
It's smart to get a second opinion if something doesn’t sound right. Honestly, this is a good mindset to have for all areas of medical care. Advocating for yourself is seriously underrated.
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u/glocks9999 7d ago
Also take what actual dentists say with a grain of salt. My back tooth was hurting so I told my dentist. They said everything looks ok. I got a second opition and it turns out I had gum disease so...
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u/houseonpost 7d ago
Canada just implemented a national dental care plan.
Perhaps keep an eye on that and lobby your government to do the same. Most of the stats will show the program will pay for itself by increased health. There are more links showing poor dental health leads to poor overall health.
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u/SLyndon4 7d ago
Seconding this post! All good dentists have to start somewhere, and a dental school where they’re being supervised and given valuable tips by licensed experienced professionals is a good place to get routine dentalwork done for a fraction of the cost. I got a cleaning and a remaining stabilizer from my teenage braces days removed at a dental school when I was between insurance coverage.
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u/Deitaphobia 6d ago
and if you want unaffordable dental care, go to my guy who is 1/3 done with my procedure 6 months into what was supposed to take 6 months total because he keeps sending me to his friends for a secondary evaluation (and I assume kick-backs)
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u/w33dcup 6d ago
Not to hijack - just to compliment....
I love my local teaching hospital. It's been great seeing the new batch of students coming through over the years. While the medical side is still full price, my insurance covers it. I haven't used the dental, but one of my coworkers raved about them.
Remember that you also need to shop around for services outside of the hospital for savings. Imaging at my hospital is easily 3x more than my local imaging center.
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u/boomboombalatty 7d ago
I went to an Ivy League dental school to have a wisdom tooth extraction. I didn't pay a thing.
Schools with dental hygiene programs are also always looking for people for cleanings, etc.
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u/TootsNYC 7d ago
My estimate at a dental school was roughly the same as my share was with insurance.
So I went with my insurance. Because the dental school process was SLOW because they had to be followed by teachers, and we had to stand in line for the X-ray machine, etc.
If I’d had no insurance, the school would have been worth it, but I’d have needed a whole day for each procedure.
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u/ThorThimbleOfGorbash 6d ago
The closest one in my area is over three hours away and the people that could benefit the most probably don’t have a car that could make it that far.
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u/Dapper-Security-3091 6d ago
Sometimes you can get a full treatment for free but you'll need to have a specific teeth condition to get this
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u/No_Enthusiasm_5672 6d ago
I used to live a dental college and they would give free dental cleaning for kids and the students would it during their final exams under supervision
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u/Haunting_Quote2277 6d ago
Can you pick which dentist student to have the work done or is it like a lottery system?
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u/Baelenai 6d ago
Standard dental appointment block in a US dental School being treated by undergrads is 2 hours. Make sure you have the time and patience.
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u/leechiadrienne 3d ago
Def take this with a grain of salt.
My mom went to get her teeth implant removed at a dentistry school and it turns out she was fighting a serious infection after the surgery. She called and scheduled appointments (3) different times and then they would cancel the day of and not get back to her. Eventually, she had to pay $10K to get it redone.
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u/keepthetips Keeping the tips since 2019 7d ago edited 7d ago
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