Senior Savers: Save $$ on Dental Bills

To my knowledge Medicare has very limited dental coverage.  For that reason, might I suggest the IPFW dental clinic?  However, this money saving idea is not just for seniors.  People of all ages can take advantage of this great service available right here in Fort Wayne on IPFW's campus.

Nervous about the thought of a student cleaning your teeth? Picturing a dimly lit, antiquated facility? Absolutely not, our family did not have dental insurance growing up and we were regulars at this clinic. Located in Neff Hall (on IPFW's campus), the clinic has all the amenities of "regular" dentist's office: friendly receptionist, waiting room (complete with multi-colored wire maze thingy with the wooden balls on it), professional staff, and even little bags with free toothbrushes and toothpaste at the end!

This will be the most thorough cleaning you will ever have, really. The students work very diligently because they want to be good hygienists, but they also know that they are going be graded on how well they do (an instructor who is a dentist comes to check their work at the end). Given that most of the students have nearly a 4.0 GPA to even apply to the program, they are very motivated.

All of that being said, the best part is the prices.

• Adult Cleaning/Exam: $37.00
• Child Cleaning/Exam: $27.00
• X-rays
• Bite Wings: $20.00
• Panoramic: $30.00
• Full Mouth: $35.00

Just for contrasting purposes, I surveyed five dentists here in town and averaged their prices for the following results.

• Adult Cleaning/Exam: $127.00
• Child Cleaning/Exam: $102.00
• X-rays
• Bite Wings: $44.00
• Full Mouth: $102.00

Keep in mind, the dental clinic schedules in four hour increments, meaning you need to plan to be there for four hours at the time of your appointment. I have never actually been there for four hours, but I guess if you had a really inexperienced student or really dirty teeth, you might be. 

Appointments are scheduled Monday through Friday with time blocks of 8am-12pm or 1pm-5pm. On Mondays, evening appointments are offered from 5:30pm-8:30pm. I realize there is a trade off for time vs. money here, but if you don't have dental insurance and have more time than money, this might be a good way for you to maintain your dental health.

Call the clinic at 260-481-6575 for more information.