Here's something to sink your teeth into: discounted rates for dental work.

That's the promise of Brighter.com, a new Santa Monica-based online company that offers discounts of up to 60 percent off everything from root canals to teeth whitening. Even your kid's braces.

Launched in May, it's aimed at giving consumers more educated choices when choosing – and paying for – dental care.

Jake Winebaum, the Southern California Web entrepreneur who founded Brighter.com, said the concept was inspired by a family dinner where his father-in-law mentioned he'd been to the dentist and was told he needed three tooth implants – at a cost of $6,800.

"He asked me 'Is that a good price?' I had absolutely no comprehension of what dental costs were," recalls Winebaum, whose dental coverage was always provided through an employer. "I started researching."

A former Disney executive who's helped launch a number of Web-based companies, including Business.com, Winebaum said it's all about finding a problem and solving it.

And oral and dental disease, dubbed the "silent epidemic" by the U.S. surgeon general back in 2000, has been somewhat ignored in the recent debate over health care reform. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Americans in 2008 spent more than $30 billion out of pocket on dental bills.

In a recession, where people have lost jobs and companies have raised health care premiums or cut back on benefits, dental care is an easy expense to give up.

According to a recent survey by the Pew Charitable Trusts, one in five California kids under age 12 has never seen a dentist. Nationwide, an estimated 16.5 million children go without even basic dental care each year.

Similarly, on the other end of the age spectrum, most seniors on Medicare have no dental coverage.

"It's a big, big personal finance problem that doesn't get talked about much," said Winebaum.

Enter Brighter.com. Launched in May with $5 million in venture capital funding, it's a membership service that gives individuals, families and small businesses access to what it says are lower-than-average prices for dental procedures, everything from routine cleanings to root canals.

A regular membership is $79 a year for a household or $245 for a small business with at least five employees. Both offer up to 60 percent off the average quoted price in a given ZIP code.

There's also a free, 30-day trial membership that offers slightly lower discounts of 20 to 30 percent.

The coverage is contracted through Careington, a Texas-based provider of dental and vision plans. The average price quotes are based on data from dental practice surveys, Winebaum said.

On the website, you type in your ZIP code to find the nearest participating dentists. You can compare prices for particular dental procedures. Dentists who are not offering discounts also are shown, to help those with insurance who want to make a choice based on proximity and reputation.

Winebaum said average dental care prices vary from state to state and from community to community, depending on competition among local dentists and patient demographics.

For example, the average cost of an adult regular checkup in the 95816 ZIP code is $146, according to the website. Brighter.com members would pay $64, a savings of more than 50 percent.

The website also lists online reviews of various dentists, provided by Yelp.

So why would dental practitioners agree to offer cheaper rates?

"Dentists need patients," Winebaum noted. "It's very hard to get new patients, (especially those) who will pay at time of procedure."

In most cases, Brighter.com members pay the discounted rate – either in cash or by credit card – at the time of their appointment.

The annual membership fee is Brighter.com's primary source of revenue. Winebaum said it does not take fees from the 25,000 participating dentists.

"You don't have to charge $45 a month, like dental insurance, to make a business profitable. It's a great long-term proposition as a business."

The Brighter.com website is so new that many local dentists had never heard of it. One Sacramento dentist said that for some patients, it would be worth considering, but only in certain cases.

"If money is tight or your dentist is already listed as a provider on the Brighter.com plan, then I'd suggest joining it to save some money," said Dr. Stephen Saffold, a Sacramento dentist. "But if you can afford it or are happy with your present dentist, don't switch just to save a few dollars. As they say, 'You don't look for savings in dentists, surgeons or parachutes.' "

When asked to comment on Brighter.com, the California Dental Association (CDA) advised consumers to be cautious when choosing dental care by price alone.

"If consumers choose a dentist based on cost of services, they should educate themselves about the treatment plans and options they are being offered," said CDA spokeswoman Alicia Malaby in an email.

"Patients should also ask for a written treatment plan that includes options and prioritizes recommended care."

And once the treatment plan is fully explained, she added, "the patient may want to seek a second opinion."

In other words, don't bite on a dental procedure until you've explored exactly what's being offered and how much it will cost.

Malaby also recommended that patients looking for a new dentist get recommendations from friends and family, and visit the CDA's website, www.cda.org (look under "Find a CDA Dentist").

Above all, ask questions. Get a price quote ahead of time and know exactly what's covered. If it's a procedure not covered by your dental insurance, such as cosmetic dentistry, consider asking for a discount if you pay cash.

It's what Winebaum calls the "know-before-you-go" information so you don't get sticker-shocked in the dentist's chair.

In the end, "It's about empowering consumers with the kind of information they need to make smart decisions with their dental care."

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Have a personal finance question? Contact The Bee's Claudia Buck at (916) 321-1968.

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