I found out I have a bunch of cavities?

which is weird, because I do everything anyone else would to keep their teeth healthy. The problem is I don't have dental insurance...I'm a screwed or...?
--------------------
it's one of those things. i'll have one patient who doesn't brush... who i suspect doesn't even own a toothbrush let alone knows what dental floss is, have no cavities in 5+years, then i'll have another who so careful of brushing/flossing/eating etc, and a mouth full of cavities. god is unfair sometimes. much of cavities is oral hygiene. however, genetics, saliva flow/content, diet, etc have alot to do with it too. so you don't have dental insurance. my suggestion is ... get some. blue cross/shield has some crappy dental plans that cost less than 100 bucks to start and cover about half of the fillings (metal fillings though). it's better than nothing and you can save, some money. white fillings will be out of pocket. some larger practices have dental plans in house. theses are probably worse. but again some is better than none. and again only metal fillings. there are some other options i have suggested before to my financially strapped patients. one is local community health center, county health center. many times fees are on a sliding scale. so it's based on income and ability to pay. but you have to apply, wait, schedule appt, wait, etc. you get the point. another is a dental school. obviously you have to live around one, but you can get really good care, plenty of specialists, great faculty supervision (who in private practice charge a crap load). but there are long, multiple appts. things are checked re-checked and checked again. for me that's better b/c you want to make sure the student dentist is doing it right. final option is an advanced dental program. google AEGD or GPR in your town. you might be lucky to be near one. these are dental residents who forwent going into private practice to learn more about general dentistry. many are associated with a dental school and/or hospital. this is probably where i'd go first, then community health, then a dental school. you're not screwed. most ppl don't have dental insurance and it's a common story. maybe your dentist will work with you (payment plan, care credit, or something) you never know. most dentists actually care about their patients and want to help them. it's the few that gives us a bad name. good luck and take care
Source