Pardon my whining, but I find myself in an untenable situation and I don’t see a way out of it.
I consider myself self-employed as an Uber driver. I’m in my early 60s and have numerous health problems. Luckily I’m a veteran, so the VA covers almost everything. I have been making about $100-$150/day and I live in an apartment in San Antonio, Texas. I’m doing okay financially but I don’t have any savings to speak of and not a lot of cash at the end of the month.
The problem is my teeth. I’ve never taking the care with them and I spent a year a few years ago unemployed and living in a veteran’s home with two other men, “homeless” in the sense that I owned no home, paid no rent, and had nowhere else to go.
During that time I could not afford dental work and before you ask about dental services at the VA you essentially need to have had your teeth knocked out of your skull while on active duty to get them to treat you.
Once I started earning a living I would see the dentist when I had enough to pay as I went.
The problem now is: I’m nearly toothless. My two front teeth are okay (they have caps on them, and I have one implant to their side, and I have a good molar in the back/bottom, but otherwise my teeth are either crumbling or already missing.
My dentist want to pull all the other bottom teeth, make two implants, and then build snap-on dentures supported by the two implants. For the implants alone he wants to charge $5,000. $5,000 that I do not have.
So I’m afraid I’ll soon be toothless like a hobo and taking my meals through a straw.
I know a lot of people my age have lives that are worse than mine but I’m honestly afraid for the future.
I’m on a waiting list to get dental work by an organization that helps people with little money, but the waiting list is long and they still charge more than I can pay.
Anyway, like I said, I just needed to whine a little bit and get that off my chest.
If you can get the extractions and just some regular dentures until you turn 65, you can get medicare with a medicare advantage plan, and they have dental coverage. United Health Care and a couple of others cover implants, so you could get at least a huge discount, if not get the entire cost covered.
I know it’s not an immediate solution, but it’s something to look forward to.
I know you’re on a waiting list but have you checked in at UT Health science center? Their dental school does work for a lot less, sliding scale I think.
The dental students learn and you get what you need for less. Check it out. Hopefully they’ll be able to see you. Good luck.
Maybe a dental school could do it for less?
Google “Nuevo Laredo dentists” 3hrs from Sam Antonio. Call a 2-3 of them and you’ll get a feel of what/how they’ll work with you.
Then find out all you can about the nuts & bolts of the border crossing and getting to the dentist. If it’s like most borders, you can park your car on the USA side, walk across the border/checkpoint and take a cab to & from the dentist. Your dentist may also have know-how on getting to/from border-dentist office.
Good luck! It shouldn’t have to be like this, but…
Edt:: uh, need a passport or https://www.atlys.com/post/passport-to-mexico
Sorry. BTW, if you go through the effort to get a passport, will enable you to get prescription medication and other medical treatment.
Also, as you age, you may find more advantages being close to the border. When you’re on SS, your benefits will go further. So living closer to the border or even on the other side may be beneficial.
Repeat:. Shouldn’t be like this, but it is what it is.
There’s always Mexico. My dad needed about $24000 of bridgework but it was only $3k in Mexico. They turned out great actually
The VA will cover if you are 100%. But if you are not they also offer 2 options of dental insurance you can pay for out of pocket. For myself (and spouse) the MetLife option was the best. No waiting period and very decent payouts.
https://www.metlife.com/vadip/
Get it, use it.
I’m sorry I can’t offer specific names of clinics or surgeons/dentists, but: I know several people who have traveled to Mexico from Seattle for oral surgery and who have been very pleased with the results, which cost a fraction of what they would have in the US. Living in San Antonio, this might be a convenient option for you.
I’m sorry for your situation with your teeth. It sounds so stressful and miserable.
My buddy with 0.0 money just got all his teeth ripped out by the local dental college, his mouth is healing so they can fit him with dentures. He’s 40 and broke.
OP – go to the dental school, UT Health San Antonio. I am a dentist and that dental school is one of the best in the country. It’s right next to Fort Sam, I would imagine they would take care of vets and the prices will be much cheaper than any private practice. They have oral surgeons, prosthodontists, periodontists, and other specialists that will take care of you.
There is a social worker assigned to every VA primary care PACT (patient-aligned care team) that can help you navigate this and provide you with the necessary resources.
I highly suggest contacting your team via secure messaging on MyHealtheVet and letting them know that you’re needing help with this and would like to speak with the SW.
Good luck buddy, I’m hoping this all gets resolved quickly for you.
Source: fellow veteran and prior VA primary care employee
What is your disability rating? Certain things can get you free and low cost dental for life.
If there’s anything that can be kept you can try to do a partial, some types like strengthener bar partials are designed to be converted into a complete denture but then even if you have a few teeth it can hook to it can give some stability and ease the transition.
If there are no salvageable teeth on the bottom then get the complete denture with no implants. Implants will make the lower function better but are not required and you can always get them later.
I’m a dentist and generally cringe at dental tourism. It has nothing to do with greed; I’m salaried and have too many patients as it is. I’ve just seen so (SO) many things go wrong, and I’m not even close to Mexico.
With that said, you could get the extractions done at the border and have an immediate set of dentures made for cheap. Immediate dentures are made before the teeth are removed, so they tend to be a little off esthetically and the fit will change a lot in 6 months while you heal. If you’re good with a dremel or nail file, you could adjust it yourself for sore spots, though I’ve also seen people really mess up their dentures this way if they don’t know what they’re doing. There are reline kits so you could make it fit better over time, but again… I’ve seen people mix these wrong and end up with chemical burns so read the directions well. All of this is at your own risk, but I think you could end up better than where you are and as a bridge to a time when you could do implants. People have worn dentures without implants for centuries, and as long as you go into it knowing it’ll take lots of practice and that there will be certain foods you won’t be able to eat, you may do well. Thank you for your service and I’m sorry I can’t do more for you.
*disclaimer: I have not seen your X-rays and do not know what your teeth look like to know if there are other, better options.
Is there anyone at the VA who can advocate for you? That would be the ideal option.
Mexico might be ok for getting the extractions and dentures more affordably in the short term. Then, work on getting implants and implant-supported dentures at UT dental school long-term. Ideally go to the dental school first though, they’ll be slow but cheaper, just not as cheap as a Mexican border town.
See you can find indigent care. We have it in Colorado.
Try a dental school. I was in a similar situation and dental work that cost my friends 3k cost me 1400 (root canal and crown). Plus they take insurance normally. Good luck!
Post to r/veteransbenefits they may have some good advice specific to vets programs to help.
There is a group called the RAM Clinic (Remote Access Medical) and they provide completely free medical, dental, and vision services in pop up clinics. I would keep an eye on their schedule and do more research into what they do (& how quickly they fill up, they usually stay somewhere for 2 days) – it looks like they will be in Oklahoma next month.
Have dentures made in Mexico, it will be a lot cheaper.
Consider going to a university dental clinic which are usually free or very low cost – only caveat is that they are dental students but they’re being supervised
I’d get regular dentures and apply for whatever financing they offer. Hopefully they offer carecredit which I find pretty generous in their credit limits. Even if you apply now for carecredit and get a low starting limit. Apply for an increase every month or two until you get enough to afford dentures. Then find a place that will let you use carecredit and give you two years of 0% interest to pay it off.
You’re 3 hours away from Nuevo Laredo. Quick google search and found a ton of 5 star review for dental clinics that speak English. 3k would get you a mouth full of veneers. I did my braces in Tijuana Mexico because in the US it cost 6k, got them for 2k plus the best food ever.
1. You’re not self employed. You’re a contractor who is probably losing money.
2. Check out a dental school. https://www.uthscsa.edu/patient-care/dental/appointment and https://dentistry.uth.edu/patients/
I’m going through a similar situation but all I can offer is try to get your V.A. percentage increased or get medicare.
If you have any conditions bruxism could be secondary to, file with a claim with the VA for bruxism secondary to X. Once it’s service connected you will be treated at the VA for free.
You could potentially check out [Los Algodones Mexico](https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2014/06/09/318212444/a-reason-to-smile-mexican-town-is-a-destination-for-dental-tourism)- it’s a town that has basically built an industry on Americans looking for deeply discounted dental work. It’s just wall to wall dentists, most of whom speak some level of English.
Since you have VA coverage for your medical, you can get a medicare advantage plan to use for dental
There’s a free service through the San Antonio Christian clinic. Another organization (may be the one you’ve looked into) Texas Mission of Mercy.
Good luck. Dental health effects other parts of our bodies, so I hope you get everything sorted soon.
> I’m in my early 60s
Do you qualify for social security? https://www.ssa.gov/myaccount/ Or other retirement benefits?
If you do, you might be able to draw early to help your cash flow now. If you can postpone taking money out, the benefit should get bigger in the future (and by a lot) but if you *need* the money, you can think about it.
A lot of people are giving you good advice on the cost side.
My dad was in a similar situation. He had all of his teeth pulled, and medicaid paid for a one time set of dentures. The hospital ended up flushing them down the toilet (literally) by accident a few years later, and medicaid refused to pay for another set, so after threat of lawsuit, the hospital paid for them to be replaced. Overall, not as good as snap in dentures, but better than nothing at all. He did find that using a blender, and using a spoon, was much better than using a straw. Some blenders require adding liquid, but some don’t. It’s better to get the ones that don’t. My grandmother went through the same thing a few years after my dad.
UT Health San Antonio School of Dentistry.
https://www.uthscsa.edu/patient-care/dental
Look into your local colleges. Real doc supervising students learning. Normally a long wait list, but it’s done basically at cost.
Friend had like $15k quote from her dentist, ended up costing her about $3k at the college.
The dental school at the UT health science center in San Antonio is supposed to offer services cheaper than a normal dentist. Maybe reach out to them and see what they can do.
Look for a dental school. Usually their work is very low priced and for the most part surprisingly good
You live in SA, you might start researching Mexican dentists that can do the same work for less. Ask around and make sure you find real reviews, but there’s absolutely a lower price on the other side of the border.
This may not be the most ideal but dental school usually need people for students to practice on. I believe you still pay something but it’s way less that what it would normally cost. Idk if your situation is something they would do but it could be something to look into
So. Idk if others have given you much to work with, but im a veteran with dental. I got because of my teeth grinding at night causes TMJ pain… which can lead to more grinding and tooth damage.
Basically, any chance you can make a TMJ claim and get it added to your disabilities?
It will be a fight to be seen because most VAs dont realize that TMJ qualifies for dental and you may actually have to FORCE a clerk to look up VA guidelines to be seen, but once youre in the system you NEVER have another problem as the nurses and doctors can schedule you themselves without admin needing to sign off.
Look into dental schools or community college type dental programs. I understand they often do work for free or greatly reduced cost so their students get real hands on experience. Basically they are practicing on you for training.
Look for a dental school near you. They are great. Low fees and the students that work on you are 4th year.
Here’s an idea. Somewhere in your state is a dental school. They often help patients as part of the instruction curriculum.
Cheap dentists in Mexico. This isn’t a joke. Go to Mexico.
Mexico, India or Costa Rica is what you are looking for. 1/10th of the cost and the same quality. I know a guy who needed $32K of bridgework and went down to Cabos San Lucas, got a vacation and his bridgework done for $2700 USD.
Have you looked into getting Dental insurance through the VA? Both my mom & Dad are Vets and have dental. I think it’s like 40-60 bucks a month.
First of all forget about so called Medicare advantage plans— worthless for Dentistry. I’m a Dentist BTW. Start with the lower denture—- think about going to the local dental school and maybe even have it made in the grad prosthetic department. If after wearing that for say 6 months if you can’t find comfort and stability with the lower denture then start thinking about having the two implants with locators added. I make over 100 dentures a year and most patients can eventually learn to function quite well with a lower denture. Go to a provider (again maybe dental school graduate program) that does a shit ton of dentures though. Do not go to Nexico for dentures unless you are going just for the low cost extractions and know you will need a new denture after the piece of crap that is normally made in Border town dental clinics.
I don’t know if it has been mentioned, but when my family was in tough times me and my siblings went to a dental school for our work. 15 years later my crown is still in good shape. I remember the going rate was 1/3rd the price a normal dentist was. Not free, but much more manageable. Check universities around your area if you have any.
I would recommend starting with dentures. Snap implant dentures can’t be used for eating for usually 4-6 months. Those “dentures in a day” are misleading in a lot of ways. Implants need time to integrate so you can’t have any loading forces while they are healing. Your upper denture won’t be the issue because you have the suction of your palate. You could call a few places in your area and see if they are willing to do mini implants on the lower. Mini implants are less expensive.
In my state (Colorado) we have dentists participate in Freedom Day. This is a day we provide free dental care for Veterans and their families. I know there are other states that also participate. This is typically done near Veterans Day. If you are able to receive the care from the VA I would start the process of dentures. I would be very careful going out of the country to get implants. We have numerous patients who have done this and returned to have them restored. Finding parts can be difficult and in some cases impossible.
Might be an option to consider if flights get cheaper in the near future. In Turkey, you can get an implant for ~$100 per tooth
While this may not help you a lot at this point, Vitamins K2MK7 can help your teeth from breaking and crumbling as it helps to transport calcium into the teeth. I also starting giving it to my son who’s teeth were awfully crooked and a few years later his teeth are perfect. K2 helps to expand the pallet to allow teeth to come in straight.
You teeth is actually one the most important maintenance to your health. You teeth needs to be thoroughly cleaned twice a year. Have you considered dental insurance?
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