a dental question from a co-worker?

ok my co-worker has no insurance and he was asking me, how much would it cost to get his teeth right, or at least ok. here's his current problems: overjet aka overbite a few gaps in the frontal area cavities and now a cavity is takin a pain effect i told ill see whats going on, should he hurry up and get dental insurance? is it worth it, most jobs have sorry dental plans. how much would it cost him without insurance? his problems are pretty common. so on a serious note, what shall he do?
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He needs to prioritize: the decay needs fixed immediately. Even if he needs to do one filling at a time for financial reasons. If he can get insurance right away, that would be great, but you're right... it is limiting and in the US usually only covers a maximum of $1,000/year. Fillings are less when they are little and can grow fast....chu-ching! chu-ching! One surface of a tooth (you can have decay on mulitple surfaces) can cost anywhere from $100-300. The longer he waits, the bigger they get, the more they cost. In addition, if the decay is moving quickly, it can reach the pulp tissue (nerve) inside the tooth and cause irreversible damage resulting in the need for a root canal to save the tooth. Those run anywhere from $900-2000 A TOOTH (depending on where you are in the world of course)! Then it would likely need to be fully covered by a crown to protect it... those cost another $800-2500 per tooth. If there is one tooth in which the decay is deep or large, tell him not to wait until he has insurance or decides what to do with the other ones! Also, overjets and overbites are two different issues. In certain cases, if the molars and premolars in the back function properly together (group function) it is POSSIBLE he may be a candidate for porcelain laminate veneers or porcelain crowns to straighten the teeth and make them appear to be in a more normal position but a dentist would have to evaluate him. Obviously orthodontics are his best option. Tell him to google invisalign, only an orthodontist could tell him if he a good candidate. Either way he needs the decay fixed. One more thing to think about: if the decay is large and covers multiple surfaces, he could be looking at $500 or more per tooth to repair it. If this is the scenario... he should consider porcelain veneers or crowns, these could potentially cover the defect from the decay and fix his smile at the same time. Long shot but worth the conversation. If he has allot of decay everywhere, I suggest he dedicates himself to brushing and flossing and ask his dentist about a prescription toothpaste called Prevident. Good luck to your friend!
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