Doctor, Dentist, and Eyes

What it is

Regular check-ups for your body, your teeth, and your vision.

Why it helps you

Small problems caught early stay small. Teeth and eyes are often skipped — and both have low-cost options.

This opens up

Feeling and functioning better day to day.

Where to get help

Check-ups and dental care

Find a Health Center (HRSA) Community health centers give medical and dental care, with or without insurance. Many have a dentist in the same building.

• Cost: Based on your income (a “sliding fee scale”). Very low or zero income gets a full discount or a small set fee.
• Who can use it: Anyone.
• How to start: Search by city or ZIP code. Call and ask: “Do you have a dentist here? I’m a new patient without insurance.”
• Good to know: Not every center has dental care. Dental wait lists can be long, so ask to be put on one.

Dental and dental hygiene schools (CODA program finder) Students at accredited schools clean and fix teeth while licensed dentists check every step. Prices are usually lower than a regular dentist.

• Cost: Low cost. Ask the school for its prices.
• Who can use it: Usually the public. Each school sets its own rules.
• How to start: Search for dental (DDS/DMD) or dental hygiene programs in your state. Then find the school’s “patient clinic” page and call.
• Good to know: Visits are slow, sometimes 2–3 hours, and work may take several visits. Some people find the slow pace calming, because each step is explained.

Remote Area Medical (RAM) A nonprofit that holds free pop-up clinics, usually on a weekend, in a school or fairground. Volunteers give medical, dental, and eye care.

• Cost: Free.
• Who can use it: Anyone. RAM says it does not require ID or insurance.
• How to start: Check the schedule for a clinic near you. Plan to arrive very early. The parking lot opens at midnight and patients are seen in the order they arrive.
• Good to know: RAM holds clinics in many states, but not everywhere. You may have to choose dental or vision on the same day.

Eye care and glasses

EyeCare America Matches you with a volunteer eye doctor (ophthalmologist) for a free medical eye exam. This checks the health of your eyes.

• Cost: No out-of-pocket cost for the exam and up to a year of follow-up for problems found.
• Who can use it: US citizens or legal residents, 18 or older, with no private insurance, HMO, PPO, or VA eye benefits. You can’t have seen an eye doctor in 3 or more years.
• How to start: Fill out the “See if You Are Eligible” form online, or call 1-877-887-6327 (Mon–Fri, 8 a.m.–2 p.m. Pacific).
• Good to know: It does not cover a glasses prescription or glasses. If you only need glasses, use the options below instead.

New Eyes A nonprofit that gives a voucher for a basic pair of glasses, ordered online and mailed to you.

• Cost: Glasses are free. There is a small application fee that you can’t get back.
• Who can use it: People in the US with low income (household income below 250% of the poverty line).
• How to start: Apply online at new-eyes.org.
• Good to know: You need a glasses prescription from the last 24 months that includes your “pupillary distance” (PD). You also need an email address. Ask for your PD at the eye exam.

Local Lions Clubs Lions Clubs are volunteer groups. Many local clubs help people get eye exams or glasses.

• Cost: Often free. It depends on the club.
• Who can use it: Each club sets its own rules, usually for people who live nearby.
• How to start: Search for a club near you. Contact them and ask: “Does your club help people pay for eye exams or glasses?”
• Good to know: Not every club has this kind of help.

If you only do one thing first

Call your nearest community health center and ask for a check-up and a dental visit. It’s okay if it has been years, or if you’ve never been. Dentists and doctors there see people starting over all the time. Their job is to help, not to judge.

Watch out for

• Medical credit cards at the front desk. Dentists and eye offices often offer a credit card for your bill. Many charge “deferred interest” that can pile up if you miss the payoff date. Ask about a sliding scale or a clinic payment plan first.
• “Free exam” ads that lead to a big bill. Some offices offer a free first visit, then push expensive treatment and a loan. You can say “I need time to think” and get a second opinion.
• Online vision tests. A screen test can’t check the health of your eyes. It is not the same as an eye exam.
• Discount cards sold like insurance. Some websites sell monthly “health discount” plans that cover very little. A health center’s sliding scale doesn’t require buying anything.