I need 20,000 of dental work, any ideas how I can pay for this?

I was told yesterday by a VitalDent office in NYC that I needed almost 20,000 worth of dental work in order to repair my mouth. I have no insurance and no family to help me. I'm in college and living off student loans and a bad part-time job. Maybe someone else has been in this sort of position before and can offer me some advice on a way out. Thanks !

I need 20,000 of dental work, any ideas how I can pay for this?
Dental work is not done for free in ANY of the 50+ dental schools in the U.S. NYU and Columbia both have dental schools (and possibly other universities too) in NY that will do work for you at a reduced rate. The young dentists who will be treating you are not "using you as a guinea pig" nor are they "experimenting" on you. They will carefully examine, diagnose, and treat your dental concerns only after many established dentists with many years of combined experience have also examined you and approved what must be done. The work that is done will be checked every step of the way by these experienced dentists to make sure that you are well taken care of. You pay with your time, however. Having work done in a dental school takes quite a bit longer than it would in private practice. I wish I had a quick and easy fix, but there is none. Best of luck to you.
Reply:Have you thought about getting false teeth? That should be a cheaper alternative and your teeth will look great. Only you and your dentist will know they are fake,
Reply:I have the same problem and i haven't found any answers in my town. But some times dentist colleges offer low rates for students to practice on you. Kind of scary but I don't have one of those in my town. The dentist always tell me to apply for a credit card but i have no credit. I am worried my only option is to let my teeth rot out. I hope you get some help.
Reply:If you need that much work you didn`t take care of your teeth to start with so I suggest you get them all pulled and get false teeth it will be a lot cheaper
Reply:I'm sure one of the universities in NYC have a dental school. Check with them. If you let them use you as a guinea pig for the dental students, you can probably get the work done for free.
Reply:Don't listen to railway's response. You didn't ask for a lecture on proper dental hygeine! It has nothing to do with whether or not you took care of your teeth. I have extremely soft enamel and can crack a tooth on anything--for example, i cracked mine eating a potato chip. If you don't have insurance, you are screwed when it comes to your teeth. I need about 6,000 worth done on mine right now so I totally understand.....I live in NC, and we have a dental school here. You send your name in and it is put in a monthly lottery. If your name is drawn, they send you info and you go in for an appointment and to make payment arrangements(sometimes it is completely free). Maybe they have in NY?
Reply:what did u do to your mouth, girl?
Reply:You should check with the NYU Dental school they do all sorts of work for almost nothing. But get the work done. Don't "Pull" your teeth. You sound young since your in College and it will take years off your life to have dentures too early. If you get your teeth removed when your young you have more time for your bone to loose density and then eventulay you won't even be able to wear dentures caues there is nothing left to hang onto... There are also financials plans that you can apply for to help with the cost. But do get it done even if it takes a while.


Also if I was you I would get a second or even 3rd opinion cause 20,000 dollars sounds like a lot even for NYC..But Good Luck
Reply:A lot of dental school with major universities offer discounted services- the work is done by the students but is supervised closely by the professor. My friend got his braces that way for a fraction of a price. Find out where the closest dental school near you is located. Also, you can take a loan (they offer 0% interested for 12 months sometimes) thru companies such as Care Credit (800) 333-1071- this is for medical and dental expenses only.
Reply:I feel so sorry for you. Unfortuantly there is not alot of help out there for dental. There are some pretty good programs to help but they are very far and few between. They are very hard to find and you have to live in certain areas to go to them. Look in your area for dental schools. They charge about half as much as a regular dentist does. From the sound of it, I am guessing that you need some crowns and root canals and maybe some bridges. What I would do is call around to diffrent dentist and see what they charge for a crown. The usual rate is $895. If you can find a dentist that charges a couple of hundred less, then I would go see him.Ignore that jerk that said that you should just get dentures since you don't take care of your teeth anyways. He don't know what he is talking about. Since you are having so much problems with your teeth, stay away from carbonated drinks because they can make them worse.
Reply:$20K is loads of money to pay for dental work. If you need implants then it may sum up to that. Why not travel abroad to Dental Care India Tour where top dentists cost much less, maybe in all inclusive just $5-6K you come back smiling in 2-3 weeks of stay.

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