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Need dental work. Can't afford it!!

  • 15-04-2012 7:30pm
    #1
    DitzyPoo92
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 77 ✭✭


    I'm a 19 year old who has no job and does not receive any social welfare payment. Also, I do not have a medical card. I haven't been to a dentist since I was around 12 or something. My teeth definitely need to be seen to and I can already tell work needs to be done. The thing is my mam and dad would have to pay for this work and they are not in well paid jobs so there is no way they will be able to afford the work done. It is quite urgent because I am in a little bit of pain/discomfort and want to get this sorted. Is there any dentists out there that have a payment plan where you can pay off the amount in weekly installments or something like that because there is no way I can afford the work and I have actually cried over this today I'm that worried. Thanks.:)


Comments

  • #2
    Oral Surgeon
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,240 ✭✭✭Oral Surgeon


    DitzyPoo92 wrote: »
    I'm a 19 year old who has no job and does not receive any social welfare payment. Also, I do not have a medical card. I haven't been to a dentist since I was around 12 or something. My teeth definitely need to be seen to and I can already tell work needs to be done. The thing is my mam and dad would have to pay for this work and they are not in well paid jobs so there is no way they will be able to afford the work done. It is quite urgent because I am in a little bit of pain/discomfort and want to get this sorted. Is there any dentists out there that have a payment plan where you can pay off the amount in weekly installments or something like that because there is no way I can afford the work and I have actually cried over this today I'm that worried. Thanks.:)

    I'm sure that everyone can sympathize with your situation especially in todays climate but dentists are not banks....

    While you may need a lot of work, it is highly unlikely that you need it all right this instant and most likely just one tooth is hurting you. So why not go and have an assessment, treat the painful tooth and then over the next few weeks/months get the rest of the treatment sorted as you can afford to?

    The few times that I have been asked or guilted into providing treatment and promised the money later have been so much hassle that I simply don't do it anymore. The reason being that I do 100% of the work, get 0% pay and then my office spends weeks chasing the patient for payment. The patient at this stage (after discussing it with his mates over a few pints) has decided that dentists are loaded and that he shouldn't pay because after all, you never signed a contract for a loan or gave any guarantor etc....

    My advice to people now is if you truly are good for the money (and I can't assess this- I'm just the dentist who doesn't know you at all) then a family member/ friend or bank will give you the money and you can pay them back... Why should the dentist assume this risk?

    Good luck with your treatment...


  • #3
    Dianthus
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 933 ✭✭✭Dianthus


    A certain amount of responsibility has to be with your parents...fair enough, you're 19 now, but without doubt from the ages of 12-16, they should have brought you for a dental checkup at least once a year.
    As previously mentioned, dentists have given up providing treatment on the never-never, as it's an absolute nightmare to follow through; patients invariably end up leaving the practice with a bad debt, despite all promises to the contrary.
    Meantime, until you see a dentist for a checkup, you don't know how much/little treatment you require. No point worrying until you know what exactly is going on.


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