Dentist With No Insurance in Gaithersburg: What Your Options Actually Are

Reviewed by Dr. Ali Fatemi, DDS, FAGD, MAGD, FICOI, MaCSD — Fatemi Family Dentistry, Gaithersburg & Lexington Park, MD.

The short version: you do not need dental insurance to be seen here, and for many people it is not even the cheapest way to pay. Roughly a third of American adults have no dental coverage, and most of the patients in that group who avoid the dentist do so because they assume the first visit will be an expensive surprise. It doesn’t have to be. Here are the four things that actually work, in the order we suggest using them.

1. Start with the $29 visit — so you know what you’re dealing with

New patients at either office can begin with a $29 new-patient visit: one targeted X-ray and a limited exam of the area you are concerned about. It is not a full comprehensive exam, and it is not meant to be — it is designed to answer the question “how bad is it, and what would it cost?” before you commit to anything. You leave with honest information and a written idea of the options. Nobody is asked to decide in the chair.

2. The Fatemi Family Dental Plan — our own savings plan

If you don’t have insurance, this is usually the best next step. It is a membership plan run by this practice — not insurance, no third party, no claim forms, no waiting periods, no annual maximum. It comes in three versions:

• Children
• Adults
• Adults with periodontal (gum) disease — includes periodontal maintenance instead of standard cleanings

Every version includes, at no extra cost: your exams, your routine X-rays (full-mouth series, panoramic and single images), your cleanings, and an emergency exam if something goes wrong. On top of that, members get 20% off treatment — fillings, crowns, root canals, implants, and cosmetic work.

What this means in practice: the preventive care that insurance would normally cover is included in the membership, and the treatment that insurance would normally cover only partly is discounted at the source. For a patient who needs one crown in a year, the discount alone is typically larger than the membership fee. Please note: this is a savings plan offered by our practice, not dental insurance, and it is not a substitute for it. Ask either office for current membership pricing.

3. Spread the balance — Cherry first, CareCredit as an alternative

For whatever the plan discount doesn’t cover, we work with two outside financing partners:

• Cherry is our primary partner. It splits the cost of treatment into monthly payments. Checking what you qualify for takes about a minute and does not affect your credit score; you can do it from your phone in the waiting room, or from home before you book.
• CareCredit is available as a second option — a healthcare credit card many patients already have from other medical or veterinary bills.

Both are separate companies with their own terms, and we will always tell you the full price of treatment before you apply for either.

4. Phase the treatment — the option people forget

A treatment plan is not a bill; it is a map. If the map has six things on it and you can afford two this year, we do the two that matter most — pain and infection first, then whatever protects the teeth you still have — and schedule the rest as your budget allows. Written down, in priority order, with prices attached. Nobody at this practice will pressure you into doing everything at once, and nobody will judge the pace you choose. If it has been years since your last visit, this is exactly how we handle it.

What if you do have insurance?

Most of our patients do, and we accept most major plans — Aetna, Anthem, CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield, Cigna, Delta Dental, GEHA, Guardian, Humana, MetLife, Principal, Sun Life, United Concordia, UnitedHealthcare, Ameritas and others (the current list is on our contact page). Your insurance covers its share and your co-pay can be financed the same way. If your plan has run out for the year, the membership plan can be a bridge until it resets.

Putting it together: two real-world examples

A cracked molar, no insurance. The $29 visit — a limited exam and a single periapical X-ray — confirms the tooth needs a crown. Join the adult plan → the crown is 20% off → the balance goes on a Cherry payment plan. The exam, a regular cleaning (where there is no gum disease) and X-rays for the rest of the year are already covered by the membership.

Missing teeth, no insurance, wants implants. The $29 visit plus a 3D scan to see the bone — note the $29 does not cover the 3D scan. A phased plan: the implant most needed for chewing this year, the second next year, each at the member discount, each financed separately. Sedation for the surgery is quoted as its own line so there are no surprises. Here too, the exam, a regular cleaning (where there is no gum disease) and X-rays for the rest of the year are already covered by the membership.

Questions patients ask

Do you take patients without insurance?

Yes, at both Gaithersburg and Lexington Park. A large share of our patients pay without insurance, through the membership plan, financing, or simply by paying per visit.

Is a dental savings plan worth it?

If you would otherwise pay for two cleanings and an exam out of pocket, the membership usually pays for itself on preventive care alone; any treatment at 20% off is on top of that. If you genuinely need nothing but one cleaning a year, paying per visit may be cheaper — we’ll tell you which.

Can I use the membership plan and financing together?

Yes. That is the usual combination: the plan discount lowers the price, financing spreads what remains.

Do you offer payment plans directly?

Financing is handled through Cherry and CareCredit rather than in-house instalments, so the terms are clear and consistent for everyone.

What you can do now

Book the $29 visit at whichever office is closer — Gaithersburg (301) 740-2686 or Lexington Park (301) 737-4747 — and ask for the membership pricing when you call. You will know exactly where you stand before any treatment is scheduled.

See all payment options, insurance and financing →

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The Fatemi Family Dental Plan is a membership savings plan offered by Fatemi Family Dentistry, LLC; it is not insurance. Cherry and CareCredit are independent companies with their own approval criteria and terms. Membership pricing and discounts are subject to change; please confirm current terms with the office.