Is dental insurance ever a good idea

[Remobz]

Dental Insurance is a joke in the USA.

 

[zinfamous]

My plan is "awesome" in terms of cost--it's like 5 bucks a month....but if I ever need anything beyond a cleaning?

lol!

 

[clamum]

for $8 month I get free 2 cleanings per year plus one x-ray, and 80% of fillings, i don't see how it is not good idea

Mine's quite similar but I'm pretty sure it's less than $8 a month. Basically the same at my previous company. Damn, some of you guys are paying quite a bit for dental!

 

[HumblePie]

My plan is "awesome" in terms of cost--it's like 5 bucks a month....but if I ever need anything beyond a cleaning?

lol!

I can do a quick cleaning from more than a few dentists around here for about $20.

$5 a month for "free" cleanings... yah doesn't add up. Lets see, 2 cleanings a year at $40 total, or $60 for a year for "free" cleanings.

If that is all your plan covers it sucks.

 

[zinfamous]

I can do a quick cleaning from more than a few dentists around here for about $20.

$5 a month for "free" cleanings... yah doesn't add up. Lets see, 2 cleanings a year at $40 total, or $60 for a year for "free" cleanings.

If that is all your plan covers it sucks.

No, it's actually not that bad. X-Rays, Up to 2k or something like that....I have to check.

 

[jaedaliu]

Going thru open enrollment now. We have Delta Dental PPO Plus Premier. It's $9/month with a max payout of $1,500 and a $50 deductible. Preventive(cleanings/xrays) is covered at 100% and everything else is covered at 85% except crowns which are covered at 55%.

That's what I have (high option)! $2000 lifetime orthodontia is great. I chose my dentist based on $2800 for invisalign groupon, and they'll give me that deal, so invisalign for $800!

 

[bignateyk]

My dental plan is like $3 a month. No way I would pay $50 a month for dental. I haven't even been to a dentist in like 5 years.

 

[s0me0nesmind1]

When it comes to dental work in general, there is a LOT of BS the Dentist will tell you to try and pull as much out of your teeth as possible. Seek multiple check-ups at professional places (No, not shit like Castle Dental) before you EVER commit to that expensive shit.

Unlike most medical work, you are able to generally evaluate if you need something done by other medical doctors (IE: Does it Hurt? Does it LOOK like there is something wrong?) - but when it comes to dental work, you can't exactly look around your mouth.

 

[moonbogg]

I just had a bunch of crap done. I think insurance covered the consultation and cleaning. The rest comes out of pocket, and its thousands. So yes, screw dental insurance. Just save throughout the year for it yourself and you'll be fine. Remember, there are no surprises. There is only poor planning.

 

[DaveSimmons]

When it comes to dental work in general, there is a LOT of BS the Dentist will tell you to try and pull as much out of your teeth as possible. Seek multiple check-ups at professional places (No, not shit like Castle Dental) before you EVER commit to that expensive shit.

Unlike most medical work, you are able to generally evaluate if you need something done by other medical doctors (IE: Does it Hurt? Does it LOOK like there is something wrong?) - but when it comes to dental work, you can't exactly look around your mouth.

Some are like that, but not all.

That's why I've been going to the same dentist for 12 years now. It's a 3-doctor office and they are all people I can trust. They don't push cosmetic dentistry or anything else that isn't needed. One year they'll warn me that there is some crumbling on a filling, then a year later they might say the filling finally needs to be replaced. No "I need a new boat, let's see what I can find."

 

[JBT]

for $8 month I get free 2 cleanings per year plus one x-ray, and 80% of fillings, i don't see how it is not good idea

Yep Mines similar.

Also like 2K lifetime for an Orthodontist per person.

 

[dank69]

Employer plan:
$230/year for emp + 1, $25 deductible, free preventative, 80% basic restorative, 50% major restorative, $2000/person annual max + $2000/person ortho lifetime max. HCSA up to $2500 if we know we will need any major work.

 

[Spungo]

Pretty much all plans suck

The general rule of ALL insurance: you need insurance if you can't easily replace the item in question. Should I get insurance on a $1000 fishing boat? No. If someone steals it, I'll just buy a new one. Should I get fire insurance on my house? Probably yes. Having the house burn down would be a financial disaster.

I have excellent dental through my job, but I would not buy dental insurance on my own. Having to pay out of pocket to pull an infected tooth would suck but it wouldn't bankrupt me.

 

[Scarpozzi]

You need to also read about how long you must have the plan before it pays out.

I dropped my dental insurance in 2005 after 95% of dentists stopped honoring it. (bad insurance company)

I picked up coverage from a different company this year. They'll cover cleanings for my wife and I this year....next year, after having them for 12 months, I can get some work done that I need. It will end up saving me a lot of money. After that, I may go ahead and drop it again unless I go ahead and do coverage for kids too. At some point, it's cheaper to have insurance for cleanings if you have enough kids....especially if they require fillings.

 

[s0me0nesmind1]

Some are like that, but not all.

That's why I've been going to the same dentist for 12 years now. It's a 3-doctor office and they are all people I can trust. They don't push cosmetic dentistry or anything else that isn't needed. One year they'll warn me that there is some crumbling on a filling, then a year later they might say the filling finally needs to be replaced. No "I need a new boat, let's see what I can find."

Right - That's EXACTLY what I'm saying.

My mom had to go to 3 different dentists, the first 2 annihilating her with jabber about "ohhh you need to get this done and that done and get these fixed"... the 3rd one... "Nope, there's absolutely nothing wrong - your teeth are completely healthy."....

Been going to that same dentist for 10+ years now.

 

[OVerLoRDI]

I actually have a pretty good policy through Aetna. 2 checkups a year are covered. I have had two fillings done this year and I'm 200 out of pocket total. Monthly cost is 16/month

 

[TridenT]

Depends. Not all plans are equal. Some have pretty high caps.

In my case, having really good dental coverage was nice and required to get any savings. I'm pretty sure over 10,000 went into this mouth. (All teeth had to be pulled, braces, lots of cleanings, yearly exams, all four wisdom teeth(That was like $2000-2500 on its own; I didn't have insurance at that time.), etc.) It's better than what it would be otherwise, but you can't fix some people.

 

[OverVolt]

Pay with cash, ask for discounts. Dental insurance is a waste of time I've found out.