Dental Insurance?

[HOGEYE]

Anyone know much about dental insurance? Good companies? Think I need to get a cavity taken care of and teeth cleaned. Some I have talked to say it is best to pay out of pocket.

[Surface Tension]

The only thing I dislike more then dentist talk is, well, going to the dentist. If you don't plan on going in twice a year for cleaning and checkups then you might be better off paying out of the pocket...for now. Eventually you will pay in the end.

If its hurting you, you might be looking at more then a filling. ROOT CANAL baby.

Sorry I have insurance but don't know the cost, I'll ask the wife.

[harvey lee]

I know for the cost we pay it is well worth it. I can have my teeth cleaned twice a year and checked. They also pay for 80% of my dental work along with 50% of work such as root canals, and crowns.

A younger person might not have many issues, but as you get just a little older and your teeth wear down, then the cost to repair can get expensive. The last root canal and crown I had done was 1,300.

The cost of the dental insurance will vary with the amount of coverage you receive just like any other type of insurance. If your employer has coverage that will probably be your best route.

[bogman]

Most dental insurance for private parties is not really insurance but more prepaid dental care.

If your dental needs are light to moderate it will probably make sense to pay out of pocket.

The best approach may be to see a dentist and find out what your needs are and then make a decision based on that.

[hanson]

The dentist. What a fun topic!

I just had a recent visit to the dentist. My 1 filling, cleaning, and checkup came to a grand total of $260. The good news was, no new cavities this time around so my bill will be much lower on my next visit (cleaning & check up).

At this point in my life, insurance doesn't look like a good option for me. The price I'd pay for insurance probably balances out with the amount I'd pay.

However, our work has a flexible spending account (cafeteria plan) that I use to pay my dental work. This money is taken out of my check pretax and I can use it to pay for dental, vision, and a few other things. So far, this has been a pretty good way to go.

[nytelyter]

heheheh my pops always referred to the DENTIST as the DRILL SARGENT. hehehehe. ... paul

[Spork]

I go through Metlife for my dental insurance. They've covered practically everything.

I did have to get a root canal over a year ago. I had a tooth break on me which required a root canal and crown. I only paid around $300 (which was my co-cost for the crown) out of pocket. I get a copy of all the charges by mail and noticed that it cost the insurance company over $2000 for the whole thing.

The root canal was a cake walk too. Everyone talks horror stories, but mine was easy. Consisted of like 3 seperate visits. First one to have the initial tooth checked out, then another to have the root canal (which included some lovely mouth-numbing novicaine injections) and the temporary crown, then the last visit to have the crown placed. Granted it wasn't the best way to spend part of my day, but it was a lot less painful than everyone makes it out to be.

[nofishfisherman]

This is my favorite subject in the world. I will visit my dentist next week for my cleaning and my twice a year lecture about why I haven't had my wisdom teeth pulled like I was told to.

I am 25 and so far zero cavities and zero extra work beyond cleanings has been needed so I guess I am lucky, I just have to get rid of these dang wisdom teeth. Anyone want to make a quick buck and just yank them for me, it could help save me a few dollars.

But in all honesty, I have Delta Dental through my work and I pay $10 a month for both me and my wife to have the highest level of coverage. So $120 a year is far less for us then what it would cost to get me and my wife to both get our 2 cleanings in a year plus any fillings or something like that.

[fisherdog19]

The plan I have for my business is only about $27 per month and it covers a cleaning every six months and 80% of whatever it is you need after a minimal deductible. If you get out and look, you may find a good plan that will pay for itself and give you some assurance that you won't pay an arm and a leg if something happens and you need some major work done. Keep in mind, some plans have a waiting period for certain procedure's. Basically, you need to be with them for a certain period of time before they will cover more costly procedures.