Medically reviewed by Dr. Gagan Sidhu, DDS · Updated Oct 7, 2026
The reason people put off dental work is almost never that they do not care about their teeth. It is that they do not know what it will cost, and they are afraid the answer is more than they have this month.
So let us deal with that directly. Here is how paying over time works at One Dental Place in Fresno, CA 93720 — what we do before any treatment starts, and what the options are if you cannot pay the whole thing at once.
The estimate comes first. Always.
Before anything is booked, you get a written estimate. Not a verbal number, not a range someone mentions in passing — written, itemised, with your insurance applied if you have it.
If you do not have insurance, you still get the same written estimate. We are not going to start work and tell you the number afterwards.
This matters more than any payment plan, because the thing that actually frightens people is not the cost. It is the uncertainty.
What “payment plans” actually means
The phrase gets used loosely, so here is what it covers in practice.
Third-party dental financing. Companies that exist specifically to spread healthcare costs. You apply, usually get an answer within minutes, and if approved you pay them monthly while the practice is paid up front. Many offer interest-free periods if the balance is cleared inside a set window — and interest after it, which is the part to read carefully.
An in-house membership plan. For patients without insurance, a yearly plan that covers routine care — exams, X-rays, cleanings — and discounts other treatment. If you have no dental plan through work and do not want to buy one, this often works out better than paying visit by visit. Details are on our affordable dentist page.
Staging the treatment. The most underrated option, and nobody advertises it. If you need several things done, they rarely all need doing this month. We can sequence them — urgent first, the rest across following months — so the cost spreads without any financing at all. Ask for it. It is a clinical conversation, not a financial one, and most people never think to raise it.
Which to use depends on what you need
For a single urgent problem — a tooth that is hurting, something broken — staging does not help, because it needs doing now. Financing or paying directly is the realistic route.
For a mouth that needs several things, staging is usually better than borrowing, because you pay as you go and no interest is involved.
For routine care with no insurance, the membership plan is usually the cheapest way through a year.
We will tell you which one fits your situation. That is part of the estimate conversation, not a separate appointment.
What about insurance?
If you have a dental PPO, bring it. We will check your benefits and apply them to the estimate so you see your actual share rather than a list price.
Two things worth knowing: most plans have an annual maximum and most have waiting periods on bigger work. If you are near your maximum in December, finishing treatment then and starting the rest in January can make a real difference. We watch for that and will tell you.
If you do not have dental insurance at all, you are in the majority of the patients we see. Our no-insurance page covers what to expect.
If it is an emergency and money is the problem
Do not wait it out. A tooth that hurts now is cheaper to treat now than the abscess it becomes.
Call, tell us plainly that money is tight, and we will do the exam and the X-ray and tell you what is urgent and what can wait. Sometimes the urgent part is smaller and cheaper than the whole plan, and getting you out of pain is a separate decision from fixing everything. See our emergency care page.
Getting here without losing a day’s pay
Taking unpaid time off is a real cost, and for some people it is the actual barrier rather than the treatment fee.
We are open on Saturdays, 8:30 to 4 — exams, cleanings, fillings and emergencies — so the visit does not have to come out of your working week.
What we will not do
We will not quote you a price over the phone for work we have not seen. Anyone who does is guessing, and the guess is usually low.
We will not start treatment you have not agreed to the cost of.
And we will not tell you a tooth needs something it does not. If an exam says you need a cleaning and better flossing, that is what we will say.
Start with the estimate
Book an exam. You will leave knowing what is actually wrong, what it costs, and what the realistic ways to pay for it are — before you commit to anything.
Common questions
Do you offer payment plans if I have no dental insurance?
Yes. We treat patients without insurance every week. Options include third-party financing, our membership plan for routine care, and staging treatment across months so the cost spreads.
Will I know the cost before treatment starts?
Yes. You get a written, itemised estimate with insurance applied if you have it, before anything is booked.
Can I spread the cost of a large treatment plan?
Usually, in one of two ways: financing it, or staging the work so the urgent parts happen first and the rest follows. Staging involves no interest, so we will talk about that first.
Do you take dental PPO insurance?
Yes. Bring your details and we will check your benefits, including your annual maximum and any waiting periods, and apply them to the estimate.
What if I am in pain and cannot afford a full treatment plan?
Come in anyway. Getting you out of pain is a separate decision from fixing everything, and the urgent part is often smaller and less expensive than the whole plan.
Dr. Gagan Sidhu and Dr. Antonio Relucio Jr.
One Dental Place, 7045 N Chestnut Ave, Ste 104, Fresno, CA 93720
Call (559) 939-9000 · Open Saturdays 8:30–4