# Dental Insurance Is Crappy **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 20, 2010, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dental-insurance-is-crappy/561284 "2010-11-20T00:54:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2010, 8:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dental-insurance-is-crappy/561284/21 "2010-11-20T08:07:11Z")
I could buy a house with what I’ve paid to dentist/oral surgeons. And this is no exaggeration. ---
**Author:** ![lindsaybluth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/90db22/32.png) [@lindsaybluth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lindsaybluth)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2010, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dental-insurance-is-crappy/561284/22 "2010-11-20T21:37:49Z")
Please be sure to check out your options - getting a simple second opinion could run you just $100. If you live near a university, seek out their dental school. A cleaning at my local dental school is $45, and a cleaning at a decent dentist is $110 or so. You could max out your dental plan and then head to the dental school, or use your insurance at the dental school. Barring that, I’d look into tourism. ---
**Author:** ![LouisB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dfb087/32.png) [@LouisB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LouisB)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2010, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dental-insurance-is-crappy/561284/23 "2010-11-20T22:38:09Z")
I just paid a hell of a lot less for a full set of dentures, top and bottom. Including all the extractions. I’m not recommending that course of action but the price you quoted makes me want to cry. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2010, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dental-insurance-is-crappy/561284/24 "2010-11-21T01:39:12Z")
What are bridges going for over there? I have had two bridges put in since 1996, both of them by the same dentist and both 18,000 baht. With fluctuations in the exchange rate, that was US$720 for the first one and $500 for the second one. Today, that would be $600. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2010, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dental-insurance-is-crappy/561284/25 "2010-11-21T01:47:19Z")
> [@Miss\_Woodhouse](#): > > I totally understand. Dental work is horrendously expensive. I have a daughter who needs a root canal because of a broken tooth. The fillings that patched the tooth took our new storage shed money already. No one will even see her without 50% cash up front and she’s already had an infection in the tooth. > > No dental insurance at all here. ☹ Stories like that make me very angry. Doesn’t the Hippocratic Oath apply to dentists? When I was living in Albuquerque, they had pretty good community dental care for folks who could not afford expensive private care. All you had to show was a couple months’ worth of utility bills or something that proved you really did live in Albuquerque. Cheap, and the dentists were good. Is there anything like that where you live? ---
**Author:** ![drachillix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/48db29/32.png) [@drachillix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drachillix)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2010, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dental-insurance-is-crappy/561284/26 "2010-11-21T02:03:12Z")
> [@needscoffee](#): > > I’d look into dental tourism. Hunting through the [medicaltourismassociation.com](http://medicaltourismassociation.com) website I see a clinic in Cancun, for example, that has prices for a fraction of yours - $400 - $550 per porcelain crown, depending on the number of porcelain layers. I’m sure there are plenty of good places in Mexico and Costa Rica where you can have all the work done and still come out ahead. I know several people who make appointments with dentists in Mexico to coincide with vacations/family events in Mexico proper. ---
**Author:** ![chizzuk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e36b37/32.png) [@chizzuk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chizzuk)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2010, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dental-insurance-is-crappy/561284/27 "2010-11-21T02:08:38Z")
> [@SeaDragonTattoo](#): > > Thanks to fairly aggressive bruxism (I clench in my sleep - and have used nighttime bite guards for 7 years) and thanks to dentists not really telling me how bad it could become until I was in my 30’s, I’ve managed to wear my enamel so severely that I now need 3 crowns and 2 fillings (cavities because the enamel is so thin). I have dental insurance, so I figured “how bad could it be?” Ha. Annual payout maximum is $1,000. The estimate from my dentist is $6,000. > > There goes my down payment for the condo I was hoping to buy. Having to choose between apartment living and a healthy mouth vs. a condo, I’ll have to go with the teeth. > > I really like the dentist I’ve been seeing. And he’s the only who told me when I was 33 that the bruxism would cause these problems. We did the bite guard, but I clench during the day (and during naps - who goes and gets the bite guard before sitting down for a movie?), so it only does so much, plus I should have been using a guard since I was a teen, but no dentist told me until I was 33 that the wear was so bad. So thanks to my previous crappy dentists, and thanks to my current crappy insurance, I will be out $5,000 by February-March. Yippee! > > I hope nobody expects anything for Christmas! I have TMJ and bruxism, and the bite guard alone cost $1100. The dental insurance wouldn’t cover any of it. What the hell is dental insurance for, if not for this? ---
**Author:** ![minor7flat5](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/minor7flat5/32/258_2.png) [@minor7flat5](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minor7flat5)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2010, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dental-insurance-is-crappy/561284/28 "2010-11-21T03:19:55Z")
> [@Frank](#): > > Get one of the crowns real quick this year, and more work done in January. That gives you two years worth of maximum payments. Have your dentist triage the work and see if maybe one of the others can be put off until 2012, maybe with the help of a (much cheaper) temporary crown. > > Your dentist should be willing to work with you to help get as much out of insurance as you can. Seconded. Several years ago my dentist threatened me with five crowns on the bottom. And now I have my five crowns. But he didn’t put them all in in one year. It was done over a few years, and he worked with me to maximize each year. ---
**Author:** ![Taomist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/53a042/32.png) [@Taomist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Taomist)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2010, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dental-insurance-is-crappy/561284/29 "2010-11-21T05:22:47Z")
> [@LouisB](#): > > I just paid a hell of a lot less for a full set of dentures, top and bottom. Including all the extractions. I’m not recommending that course of action but the price you quoted makes me want to cry. This is pretty much going to be my goal; even that wouldn’t be possible without insurance, which I do have; it just doesn’t cover much. The options are complete mouth reconstruction that would likely take at least a decade, more likely longer. As both of my parents had false teeth in their 30’s due to some messed-up genetic issue with enamel \ I am not surprised by my own crumbling and caried canines and cuspids. False teeth might suck, but it sounds better than taking on a loan I could never repay for something that will need replacing in a couple of decades, anyway. ---
**Author:** ![lorene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/65b543/32.png) [@lorene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lorene)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2010, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dental-insurance-is-crappy/561284/30 "2010-11-21T12:47:36Z")
> [@chizzuk](#): > > I have TMJ and bruxism, and the bite guard alone cost $1100. The dental insurance wouldn’t cover any of it. What the hell is dental insurance for, if not for this? I also have TMJ and bruxism. The stupid quandry my insurance leaves me in is that dental insurance doesn’t want to cover it because they say it’s a joint/ muscle issue and therefore medical, while the medical insurance says, “Well, it’s in your mouth so the dental folks will need to carry it.” Fuckers, all of them. ---
**Author:** ![MsRobyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90ced4/32.png) [@MsRobyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsRobyn)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2010, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dental-insurance-is-crappy/561284/31 "2010-11-21T12:48:23Z")
If we were to buy into the military dental plan, it’d run us around $91 per month for the three of us. We’d have cost shares of up to 50% depending on the service rendered. The maximum benefit? $1200 per year, per person. Considering that none of us has any current dental problems, it’s cheaper to pay for the cleanings and any fillings on a pay-as-we-go basis than it is to buy insurance and deal with the hassles. And we can see the dentist of our choice, although I’m pretty sure his office takes the plan. (It’s through United Concordia.) Just for shits n’ grins, I priced plans through UC’s individual market and came up with a premium of just over $100 a month for a higher maximum benefit but a 40% across-the-board cost share. Delta, OTOH, has much lower premiums and reasonable cost-shares. I think I’ll call my dentist to see if he takes Delta. ---
**Author:** ![MsRobyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90ced4/32.png) [@MsRobyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsRobyn)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2010, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dental-insurance-is-crappy/561284/32 "2010-11-21T12:57:02Z")
> [@lorene](#): > > I also have TMJ and bruxism. The stupid quandry my insurance leaves me in is that dental insurance doesn’t want to cover it because they say it’s a joint/ muscle issue and therefore medical, while the medical insurance says, “Well, it’s in your mouth so the dental folks will need to carry it.” > > Fuckers, all of them. I have TMJ due to a car accident. (The side of my face hit the driver’s side window causing permanent damage.) This means that I get screwed because it has to go through a third-party liability process so that the other driver’s insurance can deny it before it can be turned down by my other insurance. ---
**Author:** ![Ca3799](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9f8e36/32.png) [@Ca3799](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ca3799)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2010, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dental-insurance-is-crappy/561284/33 "2010-11-21T13:13:16Z")
I was just reviewing my companies insurance plan options for the coming year. If you didn’t have dental last year, then you will only be covered for basic services this year- no major dental work coverage. Some of my coworkers were thinking of skipping the dental for the next year to save money. I told them to consider that carefully since it carries a one year penalty into the following year. ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2010, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dental-insurance-is-crappy/561284/34 "2010-11-21T17:55:52Z")
The title of this thread should be changed to dental insurance is “CAPPY”. Which is a double play on caps=teeth and cap as in limits on the insurance. Note to self: If you have to explain a joke it’s not funny 😃 ---
**Author:** ![jasg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f0a364/32.png) [@jasg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasg)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2010, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dental-insurance-is-crappy/561284/35 "2010-11-21T18:28:36Z")
When I switched to private insurance, I investigated Dental Insurance and passed on it. The benefit had a yearly max of $750, but the yearly premium was $720. A portion of the benefit would roll over, but it just didn’t pay for itself in my opinion. I take this as a clear example of why ‘insurance’ is poor solution for health issues as one ages (I’m 61). I am pretty much guaranteed to consume expensive dental services with crowns, root canals and the like. The insurance company does not really want to pay for since it is a routine expense, not an exceptional occurrence to insure against. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2010, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dental-insurance-is-crappy/561284/36 "2010-11-21T19:20:30Z")
> [@Taomist](#): > > This is pretty much going to be my goal; even that wouldn’t be possible without insurance, which I do have; it just doesn’t cover much. > > The options are complete mouth reconstruction that would likely take at least a decade, more likely longer. > > As both of my parents had false teeth in their 30’s due to some messed-up genetic issue with enamel \ I am not surprised by my own crumbling and caried canines and cuspids. False teeth might suck, but it sounds better than taking on a loan I could never repay for something that will need replacing in a couple of decades, anyway. Modern dentists hate like hell to pull a tooth - they’ll do just about anything to avoid it (and, coincidentally, make buttloads more money from crowns and root canals), but if it’s what’s right for you, insist on it. ---
**Author:** ![Antinor01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@Antinor01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antinor01)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2010, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dental-insurance-is-crappy/561284/37 "2010-11-21T21:37:01Z")
> [@jasg](#): > > When I switched to private insurance, I investigated Dental Insurance and passed on it. > > The benefit had a yearly max of $750, but the yearly premium was $720. A portion of the benefit would roll over, but it just didn’t pay for itself in my opinion. > > I take this as a clear example of why ‘insurance’ is poor solution for health issues as one ages (I’m 61). I am pretty much guaranteed to consume expensive dental services with crowns, root canals and the like. The insurance company does not really want to pay for since it is a routine expense, not an exceptional occurrence to insure against. Even dental insurance that isn’t age rated is rarely actually worth it. One plan that Delta offers has a monthly premium of something like 30 a month (for one person, regardless of age) with a max annual benefit of $500. I cringe every time someone wants to buy it and try to talk them out of it. The commission isn’t worth feeling like I’m ripping them off. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2010, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dental-insurance-is-crappy/561284/38 "2010-11-21T23:25:19Z")
> [@lindsaybluth](#): > > Please be sure to check out your options - getting a simple second opinion could run you just $100. If you live near a university, seek out their dental school. This is the thing to do- you both get the diagnosis of the student, but you have professors double-checking them. Plus, it’s cheap- I think crowns were something like $300 total, even if you didn’t have insurance. Fillings were like $50, and a checkup was like $25. The only downside is that stuff a normal dentist would do in one or two visits may take up to 5 at the dental school, due to double-checking and a slower lab for crowns, etc… ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2010, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dental-insurance-is-crappy/561284/39 "2010-11-23T01:55:51Z")
> [@Markxxx](#): > > The title of this thread should be changed to dental insurance is “CAPPY”. > > Which is a double play on caps=teeth and cap as in limits on the insurance. > > Note to self: If you have to explain a joke it’s not funny 😃 At least you had the presence of mind to realize you’d have to explain it. 😃 One note on medical tourism for anyone thinking of going that route. You should come armed with detailed knowledge of what really needs to be done. Some of the more Western-oriented places may try to push you into having unnecessary work done. That’s been a not-uncommon complaint among local resident farangs (Westerners) who have tried some of them. My own dentist speaks excelleent English but has a small but thriving neighborhood practice in an area where tourists never venture, and he does not advertise. Before I settled on him so many years ago, I had tried the dental clinic at the Western-style Samitivej Hospital. I normally love Samitivej, it’s one of my regular medical facilities – I even had an operation there nine years ago that was needed – but I never went back to the dental clinic. The dentist who saw me there starting listing all this stuff he said I needed done that I knew darned well I did not need. ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2010, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dental-insurance-is-crappy/561284/40 "2010-11-23T13:15:06Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > I know I live in a place where dental work is cheap – outside of certain Western-style hospitals, although even there it’s cheaper than in the West – but $6000 for three crowns and two fillings still seems excessive to me. I agree you should seek further opinions. That sounds about like what I was charged, 4-5 years ago; DC area, “premium” dentist (i.e. not in-network with anyone because she was good enough that she didn’t have to be), for a nearly-identical amount of work (3 crowns, one filling and one inlay which is sort of halfway between a crown and a filling). I seem to recall the total was more like 6800 bucks actually. And my dental insurance (through my employer, so a lot better from cost/benefit) paid a total of 2,000. I know people who’ve travelled to other countries for major dental work - even with airfare/lodging, it is cheaper overall! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dental-insurance-is-crappy/561284.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dental-insurance-is-crappy/561284.md?page=3)