I'm a 23 yr old college student w/o health/ dental insurance and need some dental work done. What should I do?

I'm on a strict budget w/o any help from my parents and no longer on their insurance plan. I may be working part-time this school year, but may not have enough $ to pay for everything out of pocket. I need your advice!

If you want immediate savings with credentialed dentists
go for one of the discount dental plans. Search by zip code
and ask dentists if they can offer you a payment plan in
addition to the discount savings.

Does your college have a dental school or is there one close by? When I was in college, I got low-cost dental treatment at my University's dental school.

Your college doesn't offer an insurance plan? You could try the university dental students. At the University of Michigan, my mother got her full dentures almost half off. Also, I know the army clinic I work for does some work on civilians. If there is an army base near you, try there. I wouldn't recommend the Navy, I guess they forgot what the trigiminal is.

some places have dr offices and dental offices that work with your budget! i know waterloo, iowa the dr's office is called Peoples and they somehow take account of how much money you make and charge you accordingly to that. they also have a dentist from what i've recently heard and my mom always talks about one in the ames, iowa area. Otherwise go into an office and talk to them they may be willing to set up a type of payment plan for you.,

Hopefully you're in a town with a college with a dental school.
If not there may be a low-cost dental clinic in your area.
Or call a dentist and explain your situation. They will probably
set up a payment plan. But it may not cost as much as you
think, and if you let it go on it will become larger and more
expensive to fix later.

See if college offers a student dental plan or find out if there is a dental school close by. Sometimes they have dental clinics that do work for free since they are students who need the practice and they have teachers who are dentists to over see their work.

There are a couple options for you to consider. Most dental offices have payment options, which they can discuss with you and see if you qualify almost immediately. Another option for you is to go to a Dental School which has major discounts because it is the students (under supervision) who would be doing your dental care.

Use your own money and what ever you can't cover from your pocket borow the rest from a close friend and pay them back when you get the money. Or just grin and bear what ever is wrong with your mouth that is causing the reason for the dental work needing to be done...but I don't suggest it. Or ask your parents REALLY, REALLY nicely to help you pay for the visit and you will pay them back (just like what you were gonna do with your friend, borrow money, except with your parents)