Granny, what ugly teeth you have

May 20, 2019 6:59 AM

Due to a combination of factors (chronic disease, powerful medications, major dental phobia) my teeth are discolored, broken and missing. I’m a naturally smiley person and am incredibly self-conscious and ashamed of this. A few years ago, when my teeth were much less damaged than they are now, I worked up my nerve to get a dental estimate and it was going to be $10K. I’m on disability, my monthly meds are incredibly expensive, I have no savings, and my credit score sucks. I mention all that to explain why I really feel as though I have no good options to improve my smile. Anyone have any ideas or experience with something that would be within the realm of possibility for me financially: I have talked with a dental office that does the “snap on smile” but even that would likely be around $2000. I’m fine with something that just covers the problem and I’m even OK with them being obviously fake, as long it covers my ugly snaggle teeth. Any ideas?
posted by anonymous to Health & Fitness (6 answers total)

They make fake teeth coverings, such as these, sold on Amazon. Note the reviews are mixed and some people ended up ordering the wrong size, etc. My former neighbor used these while she was waiting to get in at the local dental school (one option you might look into).

You may be able to find cheaper ones by hunting around on Amazon, several different vendors seem to sell the same set(s).
posted by Marie Mon Dieu at 7:59 AM on May 20, 2019 [1 favorite]

Seconding look for a nearby dental school. I had a whole bunch of work done at Tufts Dental School about 15 years ago, sliding fee scale, cost very little; all the work was done by a 4th year student supervised by senior faculty. I was living three hours away but luckily had cousins I could stay with when I went for treatment. Maybe you could do something like that?

Tell us where you are and maybe someone here can help you find the closest place for good affordable care.
posted by mareli at 8:34 AM on May 20, 2019 [4 favorites]

It's not something you're uncomfortable with, my mother had a great experience getting extensive dental work done in Cancun. She was quoted around $14k here in the States for a couple of root canals, veneers, a bridge, etc. Her total cost of treatment including travel and accommodation in Cancun was just north of $2k. Everything looked great and is holding up after nearly five years.
posted by FakeFreyja at 9:04 AM on May 20, 2019 [1 favorite]

Thirding shopping for a dental school. My uncle had extensive work done (teeth broken off at the gums and some infection that had to be addressed first) and now is quite pleased. Better to get this done sooner than later, since gum and tooth disease can lead to major complications.
Also recommending checking with your general practitioner on the medical side of dental care, in case it is severe enough for coverage.
posted by TrishaU at 10:01 AM on May 20, 2019

Agree. Got great work at a dental school when I was poor. I really recommend it. Go to a good one.
posted by Peach at 1:58 PM on May 20, 2019 [1 favorite]

You might be able to qualify for something like this. If you are on disability and have health issues, that sounds like you might be a great candidate.

If you are able and comfortable enough to travel to a country like Mexico you can also get dental care for cheap. My husband just went there for his wisdom teeth (his parent are dentist there so it was free, but would have been cheap even without the family discount.) Flights are $300 round trip and my husband was saying veneers are something like $50 a tooth.
posted by KMoney at 5:52 PM on May 20, 2019 [1 favorite]