It's All In the Grin

But right now, if Bill grins broadly, there's a huge gap in the bottom of his smile. He doesn't care. He thinks it's funny. The dentist gave Bill temporary teeth that snap in place. They fit fine, but Bill thinks they're awkward and make him lisp ever so slightly, so he rarely wears them.

As my brother and sister-in-law got into their car recently for a trip to the home improvement store, Bobbie hissed at Bill to put in his teeth. "Why?" he asked. "Lowe's doesn't care whether I have teeth or not."

And then he grinned at her.

It's funny to Bill, because he doesn't care about his appearance and he knows his situation is temporary. He and Bobbie are financially comfortable, and can afford the expense of extractions, bone grafts, dental implants and crowns. Plus, they have dental insurance that pays at least some of the costs (although the implants themselves aren't covered).

But reading through the comments posted on CostHelper, I realize that not everyone is so fortunate; not everyone can laugh about sporting a gap-toothed or crooked smile; not everyone knows their problem will be fixed soon.

"I just want to hold my head up and smile again," writes a reader from Tallahassee, FL.

"My mouth looks awful and I'm embarrassed," says a reader from La Mesa, CA.

Over the years, we've received many comments like these from CostHelper readers. People who only laugh with their hand in front of their mouth. People who dread meeting new people, or going on job interviews, or seeing long-lost friends, because they have missing or damaged teeth, and can't afford the necessary dental work.

Traditional dentures can cost $600-$8,000 or more. A single dental implant topped by a crown typically costs $1,500-$13,000 or more; multiple implants with a dental bridge or dentures can cost $3,500-$90,000 or more. Full mouth reconstruction can cost $15,000-$80,000 and up.

For someone working a retail job with limited or no insurance, a growing young family or a retiree on a fixed income, those costs can seem insurmountable. But there are some options available.

To get started, contact your local or state health department, or the Federal health centers provide dental care on a sliding-scale basis, depending on income. If there's a dental school nearby, they typically have clinics with reduced rates for services by supervised students or faculty.

As another option, participants in a clinical research study may get free or low-cost dental treatment for a specific process or for a specific condition -- search by city or state for participant opening in studies on dentures, implants, braces or whatever type of dental work is needed.

And some dentists accept CareCredit, a credit card that lets patients spread out their payments for dental or medical services; use the provider locator tool to search for dentists in a particular area who accept CareCredit or to check whether a particular dentist accepts the card.

It can take considerable effort to arrange for affordable dental care, but don't give up.

My brother remains confident because he knows he's more than just his gap-toothed grin. Know that you are more than your crooked or missing teeth, and keep looking until you find a way to get the services you need. Judging from the comments on CostHelper's dental topics, you are not at all alone.