Dental insurance questions

**Megareader** · 02-02-2012, 03:01 PM

Since I don't work anymore, I pay out of pocket for a very basic medical plan. However, I would also like to have some sort of dental coverage at least for the big-ticket things like crowns or root canals. I have seen a few discount plans online but I don't know if they are really worth it. Does anyone have experience with this?

**lisaflex** · 02-03-2012, 05:35 AM

most discount plans are just that...discounted...but, do keep in mind that you usually cant go to the dentist of your choice.

i normally dont recommend them to clients they are not really worth the $$$.

**NikoSan999** · 02-03-2012, 07:12 AM

A long time ago I checked them out too. One of the bigger advertised one, forget the name, had a list of dentists in the area that took the "discount". There were two. I called them and asked them personally if they honored this discount. They had never heard of this company. I asked if it were possible if they had taken it a long time ago and they said no, they had worked there a long time and they had never taken it.

If you do this find out what dentists in your area take it from the dental company and call those dentists and see if it's true.

**josantoro** · 02-03-2012, 08:32 AM

what Niko said, also even with true "insurance" you basically wind up paying about $500 for $1000 worth of coverage. It is capped at $1000 per year, what is ridiculous is that this figure has not change since the 1960's. And we all know how much dentist charges have gone up since then.

**Telephus44** · 02-03-2012, 09:20 AM

I've always had "real" insurance through work, and if you have anything expensive (root canal, etc) it will cost a lot anyways. My dental plans have always had a cap of $2000 per year that they would pay out, max, regardless of what you needed. If you're in need of major dental work, I would suggest finding a dentist and working with him/her upfront on the costs, payment plan, etc. rather than trying to find an insurance plan.

**mombottoo** · 02-03-2012, 09:37 AM

Checked Delta Dental online and they don't offer a plan in my state for individuals. But, they sent me to AARP and their plan for an individual is $38.89 per month for plan B or $55.31 per month for plan A.

Both plans have an annual deductible (Plan A $50 and Plan B $100) although the deductible doesn't apply to cleanings & preventative care for plan A. Plan A offers annual coverage of $1500 per year and Plan B offers $1000.

So with this plan a person would pay $566.68 for $1000 worth of coverage under Plan B or $713.72 for $1500 worth of coverage under Plan A. Keep in mind these figures do not include copays that would be payable once you receive care.

Doesn't sound like a good deal to me and they are all pretty much the same. When we had Delta Dental through my dh's job it was worth it then...we didn't have to pay the premiums the company did.

**Telephus44** · 02-03-2012, 04:22 PM

When I was single, the cost of dental insurance was more expensive than for me to pay for 2 cleanings myself, so I just skipped the insurance. Now that I'm married with a son, cleanings twice a year for all of us make having the insurance worth it. But overall, it's not great insurance. DH had to have major dental work right after we got married (3 teeth pulled, too far gone for a root canal, major cleanings/scaling) and after insurance we were still almost $4K out of pocket. Insane.

**Megareader** · 02-03-2012, 04:54 PM

Thanks everyone. I'm going to keep researching and also talk with our dentist about this.

**Saule** · 02-03-2012, 10:33 PM

My company stopped paying for dental insurance for us - everyone is very angry about it - and at least some folks found that the same company charged less for family coverage if you went to it directly. The company used to pay part of the premium, now we have to pay all of it - technically we have the insurance since they've negotiated something.

We do have a DMO option - like an HMO, but for dentists not doctors. My husband's dentist was in it, mine was not. I decided to switch. The manager at my husband's dentist office went through it for me - they pay a bit less per procedure, but there is no annual cap. As hubby need several crowns and a partial, this is definitely worth it for us.

Last year, when we maxed out on benefits and hubby needed periodontal work, that dentist had a program through a credit card company that if you pay if off over the year, you are charged no interest. You have to be terribly careful not to be late on a single payment, but if you can be disciplined in this, it can be worthwhile.

When I was in school, I got lower cost insurance through the school and also through the professional organization of which I was a student member. I don't know if that's an option for you.

If you have a dental college in your area, check them out. It's usually a long wait for routine exams and fillings, but if you need something a bit more advanced or complicated, you can generally get treated relatively quickly. It's done by students, but under the supervision of the professors. This can also be a good deal.

**Megareader** · 02-04-2012, 12:23 AM

I hadn't even thought of the dental school...thanks!

**NikoSan999** · 02-04-2012, 03:48 AM

Our dental school doesn't go beyond deep clean/scaling. No fillings etc. That would be great. Regular cleanings with no xrays are $20 if I remember right.

The name of the card the poster is talking about above is called Care Card. I used it when I had my wisdom teeth taken out. I've seen the application in several dental offices.

**flashyMcGee** · 02-05-2012, 01:51 AM

I have Delta Dental through my work. Recently, I have seen dental work on the varies groupon type offers. Are there dentists who work on sliding scale?

**MomToTwoBoys** · 02-05-2012, 10:24 PM

I would be careful with some dental schools. I had a friend who got a drill put through his tongue because a student slipped.

As far as dental insurance goes, I would make sure none of them have a statute of limitations as far as when you would start seeing benefits. I know that some make you wait one to two years before you can take advantage of the benefits.

I was looking for a secondary dental plan that would help cover the cost of my upcoming procedures, but it's really hard finding one. Good luck!

**Ponderer** · 02-06-2012, 06:53 PM

I canceled my dental because the years when I would not need any work I wound up losing money. The years when I had work I only wound up getting approx. 3 - 400 paid because the yearly cap was that close to what the yearly payroll deductions were.

**Saule** · 02-06-2012, 09:52 PM

Originally Posted by MomToTwoBoys

I would be careful with some dental schools. I had a friend who got a drill put through his tongue because a student slipped.

As far as dental insurance goes, I would make sure none of them have a statute of limitations as far as when you would start seeing benefits. I know that some make you wait one to two years before you can take advantage of the benefits.

I was looking for a secondary dental plan that would help cover the cost of my upcoming procedures, but it's really hard finding one. Good luck!

Advanced procedures are generally "safer" at dental schools, since the student has to be rather advanced to be permitted to do something like that - at least that's what it was like when I worked at a medical university.

Statutes of limitation refer to laws - nothing like that applies to dental insurance, but many insurance programs have limitations that restrict what kind of work will be done - for example, if a tooth was pulled last year, they might not pay benefits for a crown. If your dentist has an insurance person, you might want to talk to them about whatever plans you are considering to see what would work. That's what I did with the DMO, and it is going to work out well for us.

I know my husband's dentist hated Delta when he had insurance through an employer - slow payers, at least five years back.