Right. If you multiply the premiums by the average amount they spend per user, it has to be less or the insurance company can’t operate. So on average you lose, and since they have all these caps, you don’t ever ‘win’ by suddenly needing major dental work and they actually cover it. When you suddenly need major dental work, your ‘insurance’ suddenly isn’t willing to pay for it, so why pay the premiums?
You probably come out ahead just saving the same money that would go to premiums and spending it either on individual fillings and cleanings from an inexpensive dentist and going to another country with sane prices if you ever need major work.
Now, employer provided plans are a different story. Those are really just a way for the employer to increase your pay without taxes. And if you have one, obviously you should take advantage of it.
I have free (to me) dental insurance through a reputable insurer (Aetna) by courtesy of work. It covers both me and my children for routine care and offers a steep discount for acute or orthodontic care and it certainly delivers.
However, I have said it before and I will say it again. It is absolutely bizarre that the mouth is considered completely separate from the rest of your body when it comes to medical considerations and insurance. It is one of the most important parts of the body. The U.S isn’t the only country that does it. Other countries with a single payer health plan will cover everything from ass to elbow but don’t even think about asking about teeth. You are on your own for that.
We have discussed this before and there is no real reason for it. It is just due to historical divisions between 19th century doctors and dentists that survives to this day.
I have dental insurance. I used to have two policies, one as part of the job provided medical package, and a separate individual policy I purchased through AAA. Both plans had limits on what they would cover but were very similar in that respect to medical insurance plans. Medical insurance in general has a lot of limitations, it’s not like auto insurance where you get in an accident and you get compensated for your loss, but illnesses aren’t like car accidents either, sometimes you can go to a doctor and get treated for a medical problem all at once, but often an illness begins a long process of treatment.