Dental Insurance

[babylonsister]

Hi there. I am wondering if anyone uses dental insurance and if you think it's worth it, as I've often heard it's not, doesn't cover hardly anything, etc. I am not seeking medical advice but rather personal opinions on how dental insurance has affected you. I need 3, yes 3, crowns and the price is prohibitive.
Thanks for any feedback!

[ret5hd]

1. just add up what you regularly have done...

cleanings, adjustments, etc thru the year..

then see how much of that the insurance will pay for those…

then, how much is the insurance gonna cost.

my experience has been that dental insurance will GENERALLY cost ABOUT what they will pay the dentist.

[jgo]

2. There are pros and cons

The other aspect to consider, is not just whether the particular procedure is covered or not, but the cost of the procedure. At least for some policies, the cost of the procedure, if not covered, is the cost negotiated with the dental insurance company, not the full retail cost. So, even if you need to pay all or part, the cost can be less because you have insurance, depending on the policy.

[Auggie]

3. I don't have dental insurance

An issue with insurance is if there's a network of providers. It limits choice.

A friend, retired from dental practice management, suggests shopping around. Fees for a lot of procedures can be less expensive in less populated areas.

Of course, fit and bite with a crown are very important. You might have to go back one or two times to adjust it. Not easy if you have to drive a distance.

I'm in the middle of crown right now. Mine is costing just over $1,400.00. I didn't shop around, opting for a dentist I trusted and was close proximity to home.

[LogDog75]

4. Overall, I'd say it's worth it

As you age, chances are your going to have dental problems and sometimes it becomes expensive. For most procedures like exams, cleanings, and filings the insurance will cover it. For more expensive procedures like tooth implants, insurance covers only a small portion of it and you're left with the rest of the bill. Remember, dental insurance is like health insurance and the insurance companies are loathe to approve expensive procedures.

I'm retired and have dental insurance and this year, I had two teeth pulled and replaced with implants. Total price was around $11,000 and insurance only paid about $3,000 of the bill.

[Ray Bruns]

5. I'm 61 and I have it. I think it's worth it. Just got two crowns.

They didn’t pay all of it but only half. But that’s still something.

[S/V Loner]

6. I use DentalPlans.com and...

it is worth it. I’m 72 so now I am getting crowns and such. The plan cost me $200.00 for the year…that’s it. It saves me about 50% of my dental cost. Crowns, cleaning, etc.. We never needed dental insurance in the past because my wife worked as a dental assistant for 30 years. Now ewe are both retired and the plan was suggested to us by our dentist. I was skeptical at first because I couldn’t figure out how they made money LOL. If you go to Dentalplans.com you can get this coverage (it is not insurance) from different insurance companies. We went with Sigma.
Believe me it is worth checking out.

[Nigrum Cattus]

7. mexican dentists link

https://www.algodonesdentalcenter.com/

[Jirel]

8. Yes, and the right plan is worth it.

90% or more of medical insurance is trash. The number is worse for dental coverage. However, it is well worth it if you can afford it, and can get a good plan in your area. Things to look at:

1) How long do you have to wait before even basic procedures like filling cavities are available? More importantly, how about dental surgery like extraction, root canals, or implants?
2) What PERCENTAGE is paid for these more significant services?
3) What does the provider list look like in your area? Just a very few dentists and fewer surgeons? A wide group to choose from? How about the reviews of the dentists on the plan?
4) What limits are there on usage? One cavity per year doesn’t get you very far…

Delta Dental usually has the best plans, followed by BCBS. But that does change, area to area.