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[I <3 Memes]

Long story short, I've been having a really bad problem with a molar for about 2 months. At this point the pain goes from my right cheekbone/temple all the way down to about mid throat. Oh and my face is slightly swollen now. It doesn't hurt all of the time just most of the time. Good news is that is that every once in awhile the pain goes away completely, so I'm pretty sure the extended pain in the cheek and throat area isnt an infection.

No job, no insurance, and little money, so saying "go to the dentist" isn't the right answer this time. Not until I have insurance anyway.

But I'm a little leery about buying insurance online but more importantly would like to hear from anyone who would like to recommend a carrier. I guess it works like most insurance and I would have to buy from a Florida based carrier. I'm guessing that an extraction would cost about the same as a dental plan so I'm going that route in case there are any further complications or cost.

Will I be able to just go straight to the dentist after I sign up for a plan? Seems a little like gaming the system if I go in for a procedure that costs the insurance company hundreds of dollars when I enrolled for only a few hundred dollars. If it was health insurance I'm sure they would call it a pre-existing condition.

I was also looking here and while some of those plans are reasonably priced they are all very clear that it is not insurance. If it's not insurance then what is it? Some sort of discount club? It's very weird but I am almost desperate enough to try it.

My half-swollen face thanks you for any advice.

 

[sooperkool]

My advice to you is to find a dental school or clinic nearby and get that tooth taken care of. It could easily become a mouth/jaw/life threatening infection and before that it will become excruciating. The ER is also an idea as they do have a dentist that staffs them. Lastly if your credit is fair to good you can go with CareCredit or one of the other financing firms. Good Luck.

 

[I <3 Memes]

I did find a local outreach program for the University of Florida but they only take the first 10 people on Tuesdays and from what I hear you pretty much have to camp out overnight in the parking lot to be one of those first 10. Due to costs the emergency room of a hospital is a last resort.

I've been dealing with this for 2 months so I can go a little longer if it means doing it with proper insurance. That way if there is a more serious problem that needs multiple visits I will be able to take care of it without having to search for someone to treat me everytime.

 

[Cr0wn0]

Most insurance companies initially only cover very basic stuff and for the first year I can almost guarantee your going to be paying 50-90% of your bill. Most dental insurance isn't worth anything until a year has gone by.

I would recommend looking into a dental therapist they are just below a dentist in what they can do. Also most dental offices at least in my area are hurting for business right now it wouldn't hurt to call a few that are not affiliated with a big group and see if you can work something out with them.

 

[Cr0wn0]

Also dont just stop at dental schools look for school's with anything to do with dental work. My brother in law just got some work done at a dental assistant school. I think he paid like 13$ a tooth for cavities.

 

[theinfinityissue]

I had to have two root canals back to back a few months ago, and while it did cost some over a thousand dollars without insurance, my ability to string along bills has proved invaluable in allowing me to actually continue living while still being poor. There's no doubt; take care of shit at any cost. You don't want to deal with the consequences.

There was a silver lining, too: I got some awesome pain medication for the first one, and after the second one showed up I got some extra awesome pain medication. It's blurry, but I'm pretty sure that ended up being the best month of my life.