<prompt> Human: Hey guys. OP popping in here with updates or whatever.The idea of getting insurance is now totally out the window. What a sham.I applied for Care Credit but was instantly denied due to not having much any? credit history. Ive never used or had a credit card in my life and I dont have any bills in my name except my phone and netflix. I dont even know how to go about establishing credit. It may be better that way anyhow because the interest for Care Credit is like 25 and I may not know much in this area but Im not stupid and thats a lot.Teeth still hurt so theres that. My main focus first is getting out of pain ASAP then tackling it bit by bit. The main thing right now is getting the two root canals in the top right The cavity between teeth because it hurts like hell and I doubt I have much time left before it figuratively explodes.Im calling my preferred dentist today to see if theyll work out any type of payment plan for at least the two root canals. If they will do payment plans I am going to hold on and never let go because the dentist in question is amazing and the whole staff there was great, not to mention they are right down the road. This dentists entire philosophy is Lets get you out of pain and he has even cut my SO discounts just to make sure he leaves the chair out of pain. My SO has kinda bad teeth too but the lucky SOB has good insurance thanks to his government job so hes getting taken care of.Im waiting to have some kind of money so I can go around for second opinions. I just moved and am still paying off deposits and yesterday I got a little surprise medical bill for 1157 in the mail from an ambulance ride a month ago for what turned out to be a minor stroke, so Im going to be paying that off for about a year. Did you know ambulances are separate from the hospital? Because I sure as hell didnt. That bill took me by total surprise. Needless to say Im broke at the moment but it also looks like I am about to have a few new commissions for work so well see where that goes.Im looking into dental schools. The closest one is about 5 hours away Screw you Texas, you huge POS. Id have to go there for an initial exam to even see if theyll accept me as a patient, then figure out an appointment on top of that. With my only rides work schedule, what hotel costs would be to stay there and the fact that my bank is currently empty that seems pretty impossible but Im open to calling them to see what I can see.Meanwhile yesterday as I was eating a chunk of filling came off one of my old root canal-ed teeth. No pain there but thats concerning.I am open to going out of the country, but time is a factor and I do not have a passport, money or a person to accompany me. I cant drive nor will I be able to and Im not going to another country alone on top of that. It just doesnt seem like a stellar option for my personal situation.Thank you all for weighing in and giving me advice. I dont know what Id do without Reddit. ___I went into the dentist for what I thought was going to be a simple filling or at worst a single root canal.Turns out as a kid Id gotten 4 root canals but no one ever took me back for crowns. I wasnt aware they were nessicary at all but because they were not crowned they are now contaminated and on the brink of falling apart. The bone around one of them is degrading as well, making my gums near that area sagrecced so its to the point that it requires extraction. The others need crowns extra work in the root areas.On top of this the area I thought would just need a filling or root canal is cavitated between two teeth. This means I need two root canals, not just one. I need several small cavities between teeth filled and a lot of cleaning.My teeth have gotten so far away from me because over the years I was in no position to even try to afford dental care, nor am I insured or anything of the sort. And now that Im in more of a position to try to start getting it all taken care of Im in pretty bad shape with a ridiculously high cost. Im looking for any advice on how to get my mitts on some affordable insurance. I was never taught anything about insurance and grew up totally uninsured so its quite alien to me. I make under 20,000 per year and a lot of what I do make goes to bills and keeping a roof over my head.Any advice is greatly appreciated.  <response>: Dental Insurance unless you find a government option like medicaid is a no-go. Your premiums are your limits, they limit what they cover, and they dont get better rates. There are a few plans offered to large employers that go a bit above that as far as coverage, but you dont sound to be in that situation.That being said, get a second opinion and a third. Go see an established, older dentist. The kind who has been in the neighborhood for 20 years, not anybody whos office or location is less than 10 years old. Established dentists are less likely to be looking to you for a lease payment on their propertyequipment, but even among the established guys... its like a mechanic. They can sound trustworthy if you dont know cars, but they can also be charging you 50 for an air filter change.Dental schools are an option. There are most definitely options for you that dont cost 50 of your annual income. 