I have snap on dentures and have recently hit a serious rough patch financially. I’m 53 years old and was laid off. It is challenging to find someone to hire a person at my age. In the meantime, I need new locater caps for my implant dentures. My dentist charges $25 for one. I noticed online I can get a set of 4 for $20. This is much more doable for me, however they only sell to dentists. Is there any way for me to get these? Money is so tight that I’m worried in a couple of months I won’t even be able to buy food.

Chris

Dear Chris,

While I understand that dentists have overhead and, as a result of that, need to mark up the costs on some items. This particular item is such a small profit that I can’t imagine he would not be willing to work with you. Most dentists are compassionate and want to help people. This is why they went into their field. I would start by simply talking to your dentist. Tell him about your situation. My guess is he would be willing to sell them to you at cost. If he is not, you still have options.

Your second option would be to just call around to other dental clinics. It is usually the staff that orders these things with the dentists information, not the dentist himself. Tell them the problem and see if they’d be willing to add one for you to the order.

If that doesn’t work, then I noticed that eBay has these for sale from overseas sellers. You do not have to be a dentist to purchase them. The only downside to this is you need to know all the information on the technical aspects to get them. For instance, what strength and resistance is needed.

What are Sanp-on Dentures?

For those who are like, “What the heck are snap on dentures?” let me help you out. These are for patients who can’t afford a full grouping of dental implants in order to get implant overdentures, but want to keep their dentures secure while preserving at least a little bit of their bone. It works with two dental implants and then your denture is snapped onto the fixtures, holding them in place.

This blog is brought to you by Philadelphia Dentist Dr. Michael Weiss.