14 ways to get a free dental makeover or save tons of money!

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Some people are not lucky enough to be able to get the necessary health care, especially for oral health. We understand your situation so we put our best effort to find the answers you are looking for in one article.

We made it easier for you to read and understand the ways to get a free dental makeover. Besides giving information about how to get a free dental makeover, you will also learn less expensive methods, and what other options you have if you cannot afford a dental makeover.

The 4 ways to get a free dental makeover:

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How to get a free dental makeover: organizations and state programs

Everyone deserves a beautiful smile, but not everyone can afford one. Most people in the world are struggling to afford their daily expenses. To reach them we wanted to do our part. Here you will find organizations and state programs that have the same aim as we do, helping people to get a free dental makeover. The question of how to get a free dental makeover has a big meaning for some of us and hope we could help you with that through this article.

Let’s start and try to find you the best option!

Nonprofit organizations

To help people with oral problems different organizations are giving dental treatment discounts and free-of-charge services. To reach the ones who need help, these organizations might ask you to prove that you are eligible. Most of the time you can get simple free treatments such as cleaning, tooth extraction, and filling. And some of them also offer you comprehensive treatments if you are eligible for their requirements.

We tried to explain their goals and ways so that you can find which one suits you. We listed almost everything, hope you can find the answers you are looking for.

Before you dive into the details you might first check this table. Here you can find simple explanations for the organizations and their ways of giving free dental care.

Non-profit Organizations Is there an age limit? Free/Discounted Basic or Comprehensive Treatment Do you need proof that you cannot afford it?
Smiles for Everyone No Free Comprehensive Yes
the Dental Lifeline Network Yes Free Comprehensive Yes
Dentistry from the Heart Yes Free Basic No
Missions of mercy No Free Comprehensive No
Give Kids a Smile Yes Free Comprehensive Yes
Give Back a Smile Yes Free and Discounted Basic and Comprehensive Yes

Smiles For Everyone

They help those who need dental care and cannot afford it. They have local and international projects. Both of these aims for the same thing, making people smile.

“Days of Giving” and “Dental Makeovers” are the local services they provide. You first need to be referred from the foundation’s partnerships with the non-profit community to get local services. They also thought about the long lines, and to make sure everyone gets the treatment they work with appointments. During the Days of Giving, they give simple dental care services and those who need more intensive care are selected and treated on Dental Makeovers days.

Their other project is worldwide called “International Smile Projects”. They currently support the ongoing dental reaches in Cambodia, Ghana, Laos, Nicaragua, Paraguay, and Thailand.

You can benefit from both local and international projects of Smiles For Everyone. They have a scheduled program on their website you can check it to find out if there is a close event near you.

Requirements: You need to be eligible for their poverty standards, which they decide with the help of local communities. You can be a returning patient as well.

Range of treatments they offer: From basic dental care to complete dental restoration. Sometimes even dental implants are included.

The Dental Lifeline Network

The Dental Lifeline Network has many different programs and each one is united with one goal, which is to give people a happy smile. They dedicated themselves to helping those who need dental care but cannot afford it. Here we explained its all programs.

  • Donated Dental Services: This service work with the voluntarily working staff. It includes 15,000 dentists and 3,400 dental labs throughout the US. So far they managed to help 165,600 and gathered $500 million in donations since 1985 for those who are not able to afford even simple treatments.
  • Will You See One Veteran: This is a very touching way of providing dental care. They know that veterans are more likely to experience worse oral health scenarios and according to what they say only 15% of veterans are eligible for dental care through the Veterans Health Administration. They help these people to get free dental care. If you are one of the veterans who fought for your country, you can benefit from this opportunity they offer. They work with a huge team composed of volunteers, dentists, and more.

Requirements: You first need to prove you have no insurance and a low income. People who are over 61 years old (not including 61), permanently disabled, or need emergency necessary dental care can get free treatments.

Range of treatment: The treatment they give is comprehensive covering all the needs of their patients.

Dentistry from the Heart

Dentistry from the Heart is another organization providing dental care for those who cannot afford it. They work with the local dentistry offices through the help of donations. So far they donated more than 25 million dollars and helped 500,000 people. They are worldwide and have connections in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, and Puerto Rico. You can check their site to see near dental offices around you if there is one working with them.

Requirements: You need to be over 18, they do not provide treatment to children. You do not need to prove or provide them with your income or insurance is eligible. They say you just need to show up to the nearest event.

Range of treatment: They only provide cleaning, tooth extraction, or filling and you only have one choice when choosing one of which.

Missions of Mercy

Missions of Mercy is held in different places in the US. They especially conduct their projects where there are not enough or no dental care providers. They first scan the patients to see what is most beneficial. They provide a variety of procedures to the patients, plus if you get any treatment requiring post-care they also give you a chance of getting emergency care. With the phone number they gave, you are referred to the nearest clinic that agrees to see Missions of Mercy patients. To see if there is any mission nearby check out their website.

Requirements: Requirements vary in different states and projects. But mostly you do not need to prove anything.

Range of treatment: Cleaning, tooth extraction, or restorative complications are done. They also help you if you went through an operation requiring post-care.

If you like to see the wonderful teamwork behind this organization you should check out this video VDAF Mom Project – Yorktown on Vimeo.

Give Kids A Smile

Since 2003, Give Kids A Smile is held in the U.S. every year and they work with a huge team to give children a smile. It is a project of the American Dental Association. Besides You can check their events to find the nearest event to you.

Requirements: They want you to prove that you are the caretaker, family member, or supporter of the child.

Range of treatments: Oral health education, screenings, preventative and restorative treatments.

Give Back A Smile

This program gives you a chance of healing your scars of domestic abuse. They have been giving services to domestic abuse victims since 1999 throughout the United States. To apply for their program you need to contact them and they offer you different options to get treatment. You can pay 20 dollars, work in community service within a year or you can get a charity certification by helping a charity foundation. You can find more information on their website.

Requirements: If you are above 18 and get a dental injury because of domestic abuse you can get apply for it.

Range of treatment: The range is comprehensive but the dentists decide on your treatment. The program does not include the treatment of dental cavities or previous incomplete dental restorations.

AAPD Foundation

American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry Foundation focuses specifically on children’s dental health. They invest in charitable organizations from small to big and to those who want to help others. So far, they’ve helped more than 700, 000 children with $8 million worth of donations to 153 organizations. They work using the eligibility requirements of Medicaid and CHIP. You can check their website to see if there is any clinic they work with near you.

America’s Dentists Care Foundation

Just like the AAPDAmerica’s Dentists Care Foundation also directs the money flow to the right source. They provide organizations (like Missions of Mercy) that are giving free dental makeovers to people. These include basic needs of equipment, structure, and also hygienic equipment. You can check their schedule and see if there is a chance that you can get a free dental makeover near you.

Smiles For Life

Smiles For Life is another non-profit organization but they do not offer completely free dental makeovers. Indeed, they only provide free teeth whitening, but after you get the whitening they want you to donate them. With these donations, they reach the distinct areas where there is no access to dental care and help people. Their motto is to improve your smile and improve your lives.

If you like to spare a little and be beneficial for their goal you can get whiter teeth and maybe help a child get free dental care. You can check their site and get in touch with them here.

The Kaufman Fund Dental Program

Veterans Affairs is known to help veterans of the U.S., but their policy only covers serious problems and most of the veterans cannot benefit from that program. The Kaufman Fund offers veterans health services including dental treatments. They are funded by voluntary people. Besides, The Kaufman Fund finds volunteer dentists to help veterans with their dental problems. You can contact them if you are a veteran and have a low income that you cannot cover your dental procedures.

State or city-based non-profit organizations

Have you come so far but couldn’t find the answer to how to get a free dental makeover? You have one more chance to find a non-profit organization giving free dental makeovers near you.

Sometimes these organizations are unique to your state or city. Look for them by searching the name of the place you are in. For example type Google “non-profit organizations in Connecticut“. These smaller organizations work with the help of local communities and volunteer dentists, however, their range of treatment is not wide as the other big ones.

State programs

In the U.S. and the U.K., the government gives free dental makeovers or covers some parts of the treatment. Medicaid is for the U.S. and NHS is for the U.K.

Medicaid or CHIP

Medicaid is built to help people with no insurance and who cannot afford basic health services. It is a wonderful program for people with low income (again by the federal poverty guidelines) (1). They help people with lots of different health services including dental care. You can get free treatments if you are:

  • Under 18 years old
  • Over 65 years old
  • Disabled

For children, they have a program called Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP)It is a strict program to deliver health care for them. It should minimally include:

  • Relief of pain and infections
  • Restoration of teeth
  • Maintenance of dental health

You can find more information about dental care policies for adults and children on their website.

National Health Service (NHS)

NHS is a state program in the United Kingdom, and you can get a free dental makeover with their offer to certain people. Even if you cannot get free services they will most certainly give you a reduced bill and help you with your problem. You are entitled to get free treatment depending on these factors:

  • Being under 18 years old or 19 but in full-time education
  • Being over 60 years old
  • Getting income support
  • Being pregnant or having a baby recently
  • Being veteran
  • Getting universal credit (435€ or less)

What are the other ways to get a free or less expensive dental makeover?

If you think that you were lost in the first part and could not find a place to get a free dental makeover, we are almost sure that you will find an answer here. With the sliding scales, dentistry schools, insurance, and dental grants you have a chance to get a free or low-priced dental treatment. If you are feeling lucky you can even win a free dental makeover through some contests. Let’s see what other options you have.

Clinics with sliding scales

Sliding scale means you are charged less according to the income you have. It allows patients to pay the minimum price. Some of the clinics use poverty guidelines of the US Health and Human Services to arrange their sliding scales. The system is still debatable though, that is why not all clinics use such a payment system. If you are in the U.S., you can find the nearest clinic with a sliding scale by checking these two sites.

Here on the “Free Dental Care” website, you can also find the pricing of dental clinics in the U.S. and see which ones offer free dental care. The price list for every clinic is provided by the patients you can also help others by guiding them correctly.

Free dental makeover with dentistry students

Through dentistry schools, you might find low prices or even free dental makeovers. In these schools, students need to work with real patients and you can apply for a treatment like this. Do not think of it as an experimental study or risky practice. Indeed, students are supervised by their tutors during the procedures, so they are safe.

Requirements: You need nothing but in most cases, you pay the low price of the treatment.

Range of treatment: From basic cleaning to comprehensive dental care.

Most of the dentistry schools provide lower priced treatments not free, though if you look for it there are some even offering free dental implants. You can find the nearest dental schools to you by looking at these websites.

Dental insurance plans

Before you skip this part, let us be honest with you. We know that you are looking for free dental makeover options and sometimes we wish to get free things too, they are lovely. But paying less is also attempting, isn’t it? Insurances can save you a good amount of money when it comes to dental makeovers, though these should be purely functional operations.

Let’s say you suddenly had an accident and broke your teeth. You do not have enough money or insurance at that time. Will you live with the pain or pay the extra price even if it costs you a lot? I would do anything to get rid of the pain. That is why insurances are a good option with its low price offers in the long term.

Things to pay attention to while looking for insurance:

  • Waiting periods: Most dental insurance have waiting periods, meaning you cannot use the insurance until a certain time passes.
  • Dentists in the network: For cheaper cost planning, your dentist should be in the network of the insurance company.
  • Cosmetic procedures are not covered: Insurance works only if you need the treatment for functional reasons. Some companies said to be covered for braces but with extra payment and longer waiting periods.

You can find more information about insurance on this website.

Dental grants

Dental grants are another way to pay less for your dental procedures. Some of the clinics do that for advertising and to help people to pay their dental procedures bills. Again, some of them only give one chance to apply for grants you cannot repeat it.

You can save up to %30 of your total procedure. Moreover, if you have dental insurance, dental grants are applied first and then your insurance is applied over your discounted cost. This means you can get away with much cheaper bills with the combination of dental grants and insurance.

BEWARE of fake scams and never trust unofficial websites. These swindlers might easily trick you and leave you in hard situations. Check this website to be informed about fake scams.

Ask for a free dental makeover from your dentist

We are all human beings after all and helping others is something that makes you feel good. Some dentists also like to help their patients like this and they give a free dental makeover annually. If you need the treatment and cannot bear the pain they might be able to help you. Even if they cannot help you with the procedure by themselves, they can guide you to other near dentists so that you can get a free treatment.

Free dental makeover contests

Yes, it might sound weird but some dental clinics and organizations do that for advertising. You need nothing but an application for these contests. You can do a little Google search, and look for a dental contest around you. Most of them give away up to 30 thousand dollars worth of dental treatment. It’s worth trying out even if you’re not sure whether you stand a chance at winning.

Going abroad for a cheaper dental makeover

This is what we are trying to do indeed as Dentfix, dental tourism. We provide cheaper options for people who want to get dental treatment. You might be wondering how it can be cheaper to go abroad than to get a dental makeover in your country. The answer is simple, because of the currency rates!

Compared to European countries and the U.S., Dentfix offers you a lot cheaper options even with the flight and staying at the hotel included. We define our quality with the service we offer to our patients. Let’s say you decided to get a treatment from us and you are happy with the results, wouldn’t you recommend it to anyone around you? That is our best advertising method happy smiles attract other people to our services. Giving you the best quality of treatment is our aim and will always be. Some of the services we offer at an affordable price point include:

We also offer all-inclusive packages for dental implants and packages for veneers so your treatment can be even more affordable!

You can also check out this wonderful article to understand why it is cheaper to get your teeth done in Turkey with Dentfix.

The most frequent questions we get asked

We want to make sure that you have no unanswered questions left with the list below. The answer to the questions was given in the article too with a long and better explanation. But we care about your time too, so, you can find simple answers here.

Can I get a free dental makeover?

Yes. You can get a free dental makeover with the help of non-profit organizations, through dentistry schools, dental makeover contests, the Medicaid program, and the CHIP program. Some dentists also give free dental treatment once a year.

How to get a free dental makeover near me?

If you are looking for a free dental makeover near you, you should first check these two sites Free Dental Care and Needy Meds. We gave their link in our article already. You can also look for the Medicaid programs on this website to find the ones near you.

Can I get free dental implants or veneers?

It is possible with the help of non-profit organizations. Such as MOMGive Kids A Smile, and Medicaid programs. You should also look for dental contests on the internet some of them give you 30,000 dollars worth of treatment for free as a reward.

Takeaway

You can get a free dental makeover if you check the non-profit organizations, Medicaid, or other ways we gave to you. Most of the time these are basic treatments such as cleanings, tooth extraction, or filling. But you can find some other comprehensive treatments for free as well if you look for them enough. It is always in human nature to help other people. We made our best to give you a complete list of how to get a free dental makeover. Hope we reached our goal and gave you a wonderful smile.

References:

(1) Welcome to Medicare | Medicare

(2) Walton, J., How Does Dental Insurance Work?, Investopedia, March 09, 2022, https://www.investopedia.com/articles/personal-finance/111715/how-does-dental-insurance-work.asp

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