I am done with my cancer treatments and am finally in remission (yay!). Unfortunately, my entire body has suffered, including my teeth. I have some teeth that have less than half their structure intact. I need fillings, crowns, and probably some extractions. I will be honest, even with insurance the treatments cost me everything. I have no savings left and haven’t been able to work for the last six months because of the intense chemotherapy. Is there anyone who could help me get my teeth in shape knowing I have no money?
Laurie
Dear Laurie,
I am sorry for what you have been through, but am certainly thrilled that you are now in remission. There are ways to get free, charitable dental work done, but it takes some digging to find them. I want to keep your expectations realistic, though. They will certainly help with fillings and even a tooth extraction, but I would not expect dental crowns or dental implants. It is maybe possible that you could get a dental flipper, which will be a temporary replacement. These clinics don’t work all year. They are more of a pop-up option so you need to find out when they’ll be open.
Ideas for Finding Charitable Dental Work
First, start with the obvious. Do an internet search. I would not search for “free dental work” because these type of things depend more on word of mouth. Very few, if any, have a website. You can do a search for the local dental society. Then, call and ask them. Another option is to call a local dental school if you have one in your area. Sometimes dental students will staff charitable clinics in order to gain more experience.
Something that could also work, but is a bit more work for you is to look up dental websites and read the dentist’s bio. If their biographical page mentions anything about doing charitable work, you can call and ask if and when a charitable clinic will be open for service in your area. Finally, you can look up the website for “Dentists with a Heart”. This has dentists that are willing to do free work for people in situation like yours.
I hope this helps and you get the help you need.
This blog is brought to you by Hoffman Estates Dentist Dr. William Becker.