The Center for Disease Control claims that an estimated 45 million Americans do not have dental insurance. Dental coverage is given to children under the Affordable Care Act. The age limit is 26 years old for the Affordable Care Act. You as a grown adult probably find yourself going to the dentist less often due to such high costs. The amount of children dental visits compared to adults are at an all time high and for adults an all time low. Here are a couple of ways adults can cut costs on dental needs. Hit up the dental schools. An accredited one at that. Your bill can go down by a good 50% if you leave it up to one of the prospect dental professionals practice on you. It is not a bad bid at all. These practitioners are supervised by professionals when performing the cleanings and procedures. They are on top of them when it comes to quality and routine. The dental student may be a bit slower because they are doing all in their power to make sure it is a crystal clean job. If you choose this option, be mindful to have patience. Plus, these appointments are pretty easy to book. The comparison of prices. To avoid insane medical bills and hidden out of no where costs, do an analysis about the services you plan on receiving and the costs. You should seek information about the price of all possible procedures, out of pocket costs, and even the cots for those who don't have dental coverage. It will help you know where you stand and how to move. There are online tools like the Fair Health Dental cost look up. Results from this tool can also be used to file insurance appeals. Being informed can get you a long way. Discount plans. Of course the number one thought that will pop up in the average citizen's mind is getting access to a dental discount plan. You probably see ads for these all the time, everywhere you go. It's less of a havoc to get a discount plan and the pricing is right on. No unexpectations. The deals range from 20%-60% off dental services. You can also ask your dentist for a discount if you are in need of one. The thing is dentists have their own chart as to who they give out discounts too, so even if you do ask your dentist for one, don't count on it. Dental insurance plans limit the amount you can use while dental savings plans are left with an unlimited amount. Simply take care of your teeth. This is support your reason and make you morally correct for avoiding the dentist, lol. You can easily avoid last minute, emergency costs by setting a great dental hygiene routine that you put in action daily. Simply doing things like avoiding sugar and using effective toothpaste can limit your visits. Also good dental hygiene means a good dentist. If a dentist never recommends you seek a second option about services, you should reconsider. You are not finna be pitched for a medical issue. You should be able to seek out all your options for treatment especially when you are on budget. You don't want to break your budgeting plans just because your dentist of 12 years that you trust so much is dictating to you, to break your pockets because he has a new sponsor. Lol. Be on the lookout !