Private dental coverage for a poor Canadian?

Factual Questions
1

I have a complicated dental situation and I’m hoping my fellow Dopers can help me out by giving me some advice…

Basically, I have a couple grand worth of dental work that needs to be done. The estimate that I got last year identifies 12 different areas in my mouth that need work asap. The total for this comes to at least C$1381.90 (last year’s prices; since raised). Now as a working poor man (I make just above minimum wage working just below full time) I really can’t afford all this work on my own. I’m going to get some help from the parents but even so, that’s way too much money to pay for someone to fill a few (ok, several) holes in my mouth. So what I’m looking for is coverage. Some dental plan that will allow me to recoup some of the enormous costs I’m faced with. But I keep running into stupid rumors and half-truths about what’s available and what’s not. I need the Straight Dope on dental coverage.

First of all, I’ve heard it’s ridiculously expensive. I can believe this. But if it’s less expensive than paying cash or if it helps me spread the costs out a bit, it’s worth it. But how expensive are we talking here? $20 per month? $50? $100? I’m just looking for a ballpark figure here.

Second, I’ve heard that a private dental plan won’t let you make any claims on it for a year. My teeth won’t last that long, so if that is the case I’m going to have to pay cash. If this does turn out to be true, would it be worth it to fly to Mexico (where I’ve heard dentistry is dirt cheap…?) and get it all done there?

Third, can an average citizen just go out and get dental coverage all by his lonesome? Or do you have to be a corporation?

Fourth, somebody please tell me there’s good news to be had in my situation! Many thanks in advance.

2

I haven’t needed to get my own Alberta Blue Cross for over 10 years, but back when I needed my own coverage there was a 3 month (not one year) waiting period unless you previously had supplementary health coverage (it didn’t need to be Blue Cross - in my case it wasn’t) thru an employer and no longer had that coverage (because you no longer were with that employer).

Now, obviously, rules may have changed over the years, and will probably (certainly?) be different with different provinces and different insurance companies, but I’d just phone around and ask about coverage and wait times.

3

I don’t have any first-hand information to add, but there was an interesting story of one man’s experience with Mexican dentistry on kuro5hin about a month ago.

The author seemed pretty happy with his results.

4

Have you thought of going to the dept. of Dentistry at a University near by? I believe what you have to do is go and sorta ‘line-up’ when they have ‘open days’, and then they check you out, and for anywork that’s needed, they book appts. You can call the dept. of Dentistry, they’d be able to tell you. It’s very cheap…as they need people for “practice”.

5

Well, the closest University is Malaspina University College, which does have some dental programs according to their website http://www.mala.ca/
I’m not sure if they offer this kind of work though. I’ll definitely check.

Thanks to P. Nym for the link on Mexico dentistry. It’s probably out of my league (airfare would be too much) but I’m glad to hear some people have had successful work done for decent rates.