Do you have dental insurance?

[oldtime dfl_er]

I'm just wondering, because I'm facing a mountain of dental bills in the next few months, and any information I could get would be appreciated. I'm self employed, and let's face it, there's not a lot of choice for us self employed folks-- that I can find. Dental insurance is usually pretty crappy anyway, but when you're facing $20,000 in bills, anything would help.

[Rhiannon12866]

1. Not anymore, after years and years of having it.

I just haven't gone back to the dentist, stupid, I know, especially since she's a family friend, but it is so damn expensive. I do have a friend in the same boat, who needed a lot of dental work, and he arranged a payment plan with his dentist. As with my doctor, most medical-dental offices have to be facing a lot of this these days and try to accommodate people. Both of my doctors have special reduced fees for those of us without insurance. :-(

[1]

2. $20,000? my god? what could that be?

They can yank all of your teeth and get you into dentures for a fraction of that cost...

[PCIntern]

16. Dentures don't replace teeth:

they replace "no teeth".

big diff.

Trust me...

[Subdivisions]

49. Could you please elaborate, PCIntern? I'm facing this

very decision right now and the dentist is advising full dentures. I feel that I can make it with just pulling the bad and broken teeth and a partial to fill in for 8 & 9 (for cosmetic purposes). Also, 10, 11, and 12 and 4, 5, 6, and 7 are good. I need oral surgery on the front-bottom but 21 - 26 as all are in good shape except for a cleaning.

I just don't see any reason to pull good teeth at this point and at the age of 45. I figure I still have many years left on them.

I have to confess that my parents never were very responsible when it came to dental care and my first run-in with a serious dental problem as an adult led to a fear of dentists that has lasted to this day. Of course that has led to my current situation. I urge younger DUers who may have a fear of dentistry to somehow overcome it before it leads to what I am experiencing. I'm at a point now that I have no choice but to deal with that fear or it is quite possible that my teeth could end up killing me. Don't let it happen to you.

[PCIntern]

54. When you say 'good'

do you mean periodontally sound as well? If they have 1/3 or more fo their bone and are 'relatively' immobile, then don't lose them...hang onto every single tooth for as long as you can, particularly in the lower arch if possible.


Get a second opinion, or a third, or even, go to a dental school if there's one close by and have them evaluate you. It's going to take 'forever' but yu'll get an honest workup (for the most part) or at least, the instructor won't drop over dead when he or she sees your teeth and you'll feel better about things.

Keep me informed...

PC

[uppityperson]

56. From what I understand, having no teeth in lower jaw means your jaw bone will become much thinner

having teeth there, having to hold teeth there, keeps your jawbone nice and sturdy. It is more of a problem with lowers since your jaw bone is much smaller than your skull which holds the top teeth. This was explained to me as a big reason people's lowers need refitting over the yrs, as your bone gets smaller, and why people with lower dentures are more apt to have a broken jawbone than those with teeth.

[TorchTheWitch]

65. bone degeneration

That's a big problem with dentures. From what I understand, in the lower jaw degeneration is worse. I wouldn't recommend dentures for anyone unless there is no possibility of anything else. Better to get implants through a dental school clinic. Dentures cause more problems than they're worth.

[uppityperson]

68. Thank you, that is the term.

I have an issue remembering jargon, or exact terms. I know what I mean, but takes a while to explain it. Uppers aren't as bad as lowers because your skull is a pretty big chunk of bone.

Having put thousands into my mouth, and each time not sure how the heck I will pay for it, I can see a time coming when I was insist on starting to pull teeth. Dentures cause problems, but rotting teeth do also. So does going severely into debt.

[TorchTheWitch]

82. Certainly dentures are better than rotting teeth!

My only option is going through a dental school clinic for the implants. It's thousands of dollars but the only way I could possibly afford to avoid dentures and have teeth. I may end up having to have an upper denture during the 6 to 8 month or so healing time when the implants are put in and the new teeth are put on (I really hope not, but if I have to, I have to). Even going through the dental clinic it's a LOT of money, and most people may not be able to afford it. That's what sucks so much about health care in this country... most people can't possibly afford to get the care they SHOULD without going into debt (if they're lucky enough to be able to even GET a loan). It's disgraceful.

[TorchTheWitch]

63. Get implants through a good dental school

It will be cheaper or about the same price as what you'd pay for dentures. These days dentures are for poor people. They aren't the best remedy and cause even more problems in the long run (gum problems, bone degeneration, etc.). It can even be cheaper to get a full implant arch rather than replacing many teeth in that arch with implants/bridges as it doesn't take as many implants for a full arch (In my case, a full upper implant arch will only need 6 implants whereas it would take at least 8-10 implants to replace what needs replacing). You can also do a few less implants and get a hybrid arch which is sort of like an implant supported denture (it can be permanently fixed or snaps out just for cleaning).

Personally, I don't go for the "save them if you can" theory. I've spent a FORTUNE over the years "saving" the good teeth that still went to hell and I lost them anyway in the end... would have been far cheaper to have just pulled the buggers out and did the implant replacement. My personal history is that no matter what, the good teeth eventually go to shit. I just wish I had known that before I spent so much money on them trying to save them.

I urge you to get a work-up through whatever dental school clinic is in your area. I go to the University of Pennylvania. They only charged $30 for the full work-up that included a panoramic x-ray and bite-wing x-rays for my whole mouth (that would cost MANY hundreds of dollars through a private practice)... blood pressure, heart/pulse/chest readings, full medical history... I don't think I've ever had so thorough a work-up for any health reason! The process is really slooooow, but it's worth it financially (there is NO possible way I could ever afford the care that I need if I went through a private practice). They're extremely thorough and are up to date where many private practice dentists aren't (my own private practice dentist admitted this to me).

As for dental insurance... pfffttt.... it's a joke and always has been when it comes to anything more than cleanings and basic cavity fillings. I've looked into it over the years as thoroughly as can be and all of them are pretty much the same - worthless crap.

[uppityperson]

88. Are you the dentist? Have a question about a post lower....link

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=5375405&mesg_id=5385712
Would having 4 implants be enough to keep mandible strong, not thinning?

[uppityperson]

45. That is a problem. Dentures are cheaper, but not as good for you.

Figure $3-4000/tooth if you go root canal, crown. That is 5-7 teeth. It sucks

[Terry in Austin]

55. Implants are great, but not cheap

They run about $2500 apiece, but my dental insurance, good as it is, doesn't cover implants.

That said, I think they're great and worth every penny. I mean, replacement parts! I have four and can hardly tell them from the originals. I'm pretty sure it's four... ;)

[dysfunctional press]

79. i have dentures now- but it was a slow downhill battle.

i don't think that i ever really recovered from the gum disease that i got when i had braces on my teeth for a few yearswhen i was in 6-8th grades.

my dentist told me that i'd lost too much bone mass(?) to make implants a viable alternative. so- what was left of all those one time root canals and crowns came out, and the dentures went in.

although- if i'm mostly around the house by myself all day- i don't always put them in every day. there's plenty of things that i can eat just fine without them- a mcdonald's sausage mcmuffin meal, for instance...speaking of which- it looks like it's about that time.

gotta go.

[Jack Sprat]

71. That's how I would like at it.

Even if I had to get a partial plate, I would choose it over replacing just 2 or 3 molars of implants. The implants are for the people who have lots of money. Cadaver teeth are the cheapest implants. Ummm....no, I don't think so.

[TorchTheWitch]

3. I'm in the same boat

Dental insurance doesn't really make a dent in the cost of major care. Is there a good dental school clinic in your area you can go to? It's much cheaper than private practice and it's really great care. It takes a lot more time than private practice to get appointments and I wouldn't advise it for emergency issues, but it could help a whole lot. I've been going through U. of PA dental school for care and all the expensive work I need will cost about half as much as private practice care would. It's just taking a long time to get it all done.

[aquart]

4. I'm nerving myself up to do that.

[TorchTheWitch]

66. Get on it!

I wish I had done it sooner myself. It took 4 MONTHS just to get the initial work-up appointment, but once you get in there and assigned a student, things move along much quicker... but it's still a lot slower than if you went through a private practice. The difference is price makes it worth it though.

Seriously, I put it off until the 11th hour not realizing how much slower the process is than going through a private practice and because of that I'm really running out of time to get all this work done. Make the call and get started... you'll be glad you did. I have the worst dental hysteria in the world, so I know it's hard to kick your own butt to get on it, and now I wish I'd done it a lot sooner.

[nonconformist]

5. I have Delta Dental now, after years of nothing.

I need serious work done, and I'm terrified and ashamed. Now, I just need to get the nerve up to go.

[MADem]

17. Go. Now. The longer you wait, the worse it gets.

Tell them you were bad, and the reason was that you FEAR THE DENTIST because THE DENTIST was PAINFUL!

They won't get mad at you, but a cleaning will turn into a DEEP CLEANING (ouch $$$) if you let it go.


Hey, I know how you feel. I let mine go for too long, and NEVER AGAIN. I'll be a good little doo-bee from now on, it's just...easier in the long run.

[nonconformist]

20. I know. You're right. I need to just go.

But just thinking about it makes me almost have a panic attack.

[MADem]

21. JUST BREATHE. Bring your iPod, if you have one.

If not, bring one of those CD walkmans that you can buy for cheap at the store, and a CD of music that makes you feel empowered or relaxed (the music from the Bruce Lee movie always works well for me: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cHthbtSbGLM ). Listen to that, you can do ANYTHING!!!! Close your eyes, tell yourself the discomfort WILL end and that you will floss religiously from now on, and push through it.

You CAN do it. Think about it every day, morning and night, until you pick that phone up and make the appointment.

[Statistical]

35. If you haven't gone in a while likely the "work" will be split up.

I didn't go to the Dentist for about a year. Then I got deployed to Iraq (National Guard) when only Dental care was emergency dental care (also would require making a convoy run to another FOB and no way was I risking anyone elses life to get my teeth fixed). I knew my teeth were BAD.

I got back home and had Dental insurance but I put it off like another year because it is easy to get into that cycle.

Finally my wife called my boss, had him mark me down for a personal day, called Dentist and made an apt.

The good news:
the first visit they don't schedule time for anything major.
* Xray
* Cleaning
* Checking for cavities
* Floride
* Sealants

Bad news:
Based on what the found on first visit they had to schedule 3 more visits.

Anyways the first visit will be routine. Cleaning is going to suck but like someone said bring an ipod & headphones.
Also take some IBprofin before you leave it will help dull the pain ahead of time.

At least you will know. Turns out my teeth weren't as bad as I thought and now I feel kinda dumb putting it off for so long.

[TorchTheWitch]

67. You said it!

I wish I had kicked my own butt years ago to get in there and get all this work done. I know the feeling all too well myself. Now I wish I had sucked it up and done it a lot sooner.

[Tracer]

29. Make an appointment and ask for "sedated dentistry"!

They usually give you a prescription for Halcion. You take one pill a half hour before your appointment and when you are in the chair, you'll be so relaxed and zonked out that an hour will seem like 2 minutes. You might even have no memory of the procedure.

And best of all --- when they hand you the bill --- you actually won't care about the price!

[shanti]

34. two words

nitrous oxide. DO IT!

[LaydeeBug]

37. Go. Dentists do not mind doing their job. Not the good ones anyway.

If you begin to sense even a tinge of contempt with you for your condition, just reply how glad you are to be in such capable hands.

Chin up. You are doing the right thing by yourself, so don't delay OR despair.

[oldtime dfl_er]

40. Don't you hate the shame part of it?

I have that really bad. I smoked for years and I know that's the reason for the recession, the bone loss, the crappy teeth generally. I've quit smoking now but the damage is done. And I cry my friggin' eyes out every time the dentist or hygenist yells at me because I know I did this to myself.

[cascadiance]

41. I have Delta Dental, and probably face $400 or more in bills after insurance next week...

Just for some fillings and cleanings to do then... Yup, we need universal health care!

[eridani]

6. Until my COBRA runs out

Then, it's pay as you go. Since my husband is on Medicare, I've been able to enroll him in our Group Health supplemntal plan which includes dental. His teeth are genertically worse anyway.

[Demeter]

7. I Have Bought Into a Dental Discount Plan

Dentamax is accepted by my dentist. The savings for my modest dental requirements and small family are much greater than the cost of the plan, which is an annual renewal.

Another option I have here is the dental school of the University. The students take forever to do anything, but they are supervised and the costs are much less. The faculty also provide service at a somewhat reduced cost, for things you don't want students doing.

Do a search on Dental Discount Plans. There are dozens. Then see if your dentist is in the program, or if a good dentist that you might consider is signed up.

[TreasonousBastard]

8. I don't trust dental insurance because...

for a long time they would authorize temporary treatments when more expensive permanent ones were appropriate. Some insureres admitted they did that because they knew the insurer would change every few years and they didn't want to fix the teeth well enough so the next company would save money.

That may or may not be happening now, but after many years of dealing with bad teeth paid for by many comapny plans and out of my own pocket, my mouth became a bottomless money pit. Finally, I had my few remaining teeth pulled and got full uppers and lowers and haven't had a day of pain or problem for well over 10 years. Total cost for extractions and top plate was a couple of grand, but then I found Dr. Lutz, the Discount Dentist who sold me the bottom one for a couple of hundred.

(Having your own teeth is a highly overrated vanity.)

[harun]

48. Me either, better to just pay out of pocket.

[murielm99]

9. After looking at all the replies here, I am surprised.

I guess I shouldn't be, given the state of health insurance in this country.

The dental plan is the best part of our insurance. They pay for all preventative care, and a large percentage of everything else. We never have a bit of trouble with claims.

The medical part of our plan is another story. It is always a struggle to get them to pay anything. I get the feeling that they think if they put us off long enough, we will just go away and pay things on our own. Not a chance in hell!

[and-justice-for-all]

10. Yes, I have dental...

Its rather crappy, but I have it. I just started putting it to use this year. Did you just charge all the on a credit card or did you get a loan for it all?

[rurallib]

11. DO YOU LIVE ANYWHERE NEAR A DENTAL SCHOOL?

Sorry to shout, but if there is a dental school nearby, they will often do major work for little or nothing. A close friend of mine recently had $7,000 worth of work done for nothing

[dem629]

50. I second this suggestion.

I broke a molar about a month ago and had all the x-rays, exam, and filling done for a total of $69.

Two third-year students did the work under the supervision of a dentist/professor.

Usually the schools have a program you can get into where you can get regular cleanings and exams for free. They don't take everyone, of course, but I have been told they like to take people with dental problems (to give the students something to learn from) and it sure sounds like the OP would fit that description.

[Mz Pip]

72. I third it.

I have a friend who uses the UCSF dental school for all his dental work and has very good things to say. The cost is minimal and a dental professor oversees all the work. He's been thrilled with the results.

[TorchTheWitch]

83. And I fourth it

I'm going through the University of PA dental school clinic now for all the implant work I need done. There's no way in the world I could possibly afford it through a private practice.

[RebelOne]

12. I have it through my employer,

but it really doesn't pay for too much. I keep it because I will be having some major work coming up. So, at least it will cover some of the cost.

[Mari333]

13. back in the 50s

I was about 12 yrs old and my teeth were very very crooked. otherwise they were good teeth. back then, if you were poor, dentists took care of crooked teeth by pulling them all out. at the time, and later on, after I had had all my teeth pulled out, and wore dentures (as a kid), I was pretty angry at my parents for allowing that to happen. Thats unthinkable nowadays.
But, as I approach 60 yrs old, the dentures make sense, and Ive been living with them for half a century. I also dont have any dental bills or worry about gingivitis . I hope you can find a way to stagger your payments and find some help.
I still miss the idea of having real teeth. it would be nice to chew peanuts again for instance. or fresh vegetables. some things arent worth having dentures. good luck.

[ejpoeta]

14. i have cigna dental, which is at least something. my kids had child health plus

which has dental. unfortunately, the only dentist in town that takes it, who is nice enough, won't let you go back with the kids. that was fine for emily when she went and had a tooth pulled, but ashley who is 3... not so much. so ashley has cavities (uggh) and it is going to cost me $180 out of pocket and I will hopefully be reimbursed for some of that through the cigna dental as child health plus does NOT do this special pediatric dentist. though, dr. ecker is very picky about insurance and doesn't take much. i'm doing it, though because ashley needs those fillings and I don't want her to be traumatized.

[Mamacrat]

15. Save your teeth!

We do have dental insurance through my husband's job. However, my dentist is not on the plan, so we pay more. I won't change because I trust him and have had a lot of dental problems due to dry mouth from medication I've taken over the years for allergies. (Wish I'd known that when I was a child.) Between my dentist, the endodontist and periodontist, we've been paying a small fortune, too. Still, it's better to save those teeth if you can.

[rucky]

18. I've been paying premiums for 2 years,

but have yet to have a single claim approved. So I wouldn't exactly call it insurance, even though I'm writing checks to a company that claims to be an insurer.

[a la izquierda]

19. Yes, I do

I have Delta Dental. They're okay. You might try Aetna too. They were better, but a bit more expensive and my university stopped offering Aetna as an option for grad students employed by the university. Oh well, at least I still have something. My stupid dentist put a filling in my tooth two weeks ago and the filling cracked, taking half the tooth with it.

[PA Democrat]

22. Yes, I have dental insurance but there are annual limits

on the amount of work they will cover. What's really crazy is that once you hit that limit, not only does the company not pay for any additional treatment, you also do not get the discount that you normally gt on the total cost of the procedure.

My husband and I are also self-employed and we were not able to find anything I would consider anything more than a mediocre plan, and they all cost money.

There also may be a wait of a year or more until they will cover certain procedures like crowns, etc.

[alarimer]

23. I have a dental discount plan.

Really not insurance but I pay about half the cost of fillings and cleanings. I haven't needed anything else. We do have another plan that is better but for the first three years you pay a lot until it kicks in fully. I am thinking of switching during open enrollment this year.

[melm00se]

24. dental insurance

is great for regular cleanings and the occasional filling but get into some heavy work (even some not so heavy) and you end up paying, at the minimum, 20% of the bill but more than likely 50% (or more) of the tab.

this is one of those things that the longer you wait the worse (in time, money and discomfort) it will be.

[raccoon]

25. Don't make me laugh. :sarcasm: :cry:

I haven't had group medical since the early 90's.


50% of the employees at my workplace are part-time, no benes.

[Blue Diadem]

26. there are annual caps on our dental insurance, usually 1,000.

When I got my bridges for my eye teeth, I had one side done in the fall, then the other side done in Jan. because our insurance ran with the calendar year. It still cost us out of pocket over $5,000 but at least insurance covered $2,000.

[WCIL]

27. No

and I worry every single time someone goes to the dentist that there will be a problem.

[Javaman]

28. No, I go to a dental school in my area. It's way cheaper and they do wonderful work. nt

[sinkingfeeling]

30. My employer provided Delta Dental caps expenses at $1500 a year.

[tonysam]

31. Dental Insurance is a Scandal.

It's a joke for anybody with a dental needs more than preventative care. If you have major problems, as I do, you have to pay out of pocket or else put it off to the point all the teeth fall out.

ALL dental health care should be paid by insurance in lieu of a national insurance plan; none of this $1,000- or $2,000-a-year benefit.

[step up]

32. No...You can look up dental schools with good reps, though

I am lucky in that my partner's good friend is a dentist!

[shanti]

33. yes, thank god

dental health is SO important to one's general health.

[Statistical]

36. Dental insurance tends to be more prventive than catastrophic.

Kinda the opposite of Health Insurance.

Most plans are something like:

routine/preventive - covers 100%
basic work - covers 60%
complex work - covers 40%
reconstruction work - covers 20%

Plus they have annual cap. Anywhere from $500 to $2000.

So with $20K in bills even if you HAD a good dental insurance plan you likely would have paid $19K+ out of pocket.

[tonysam]

74. The Reason Dental Insurance is Such a Joke

is that, unlike medical insurance, it is something people will use frequently. That's why the "preventative" nonsense and scroogelike yearly limits exist. Companies are going to pay as little as they can get away with.

What is pathetic about dental insurance is the "preventative" crapola are things people are more able to pay out of pocket than major dental/periodontal surgery which NEEDS dental insurance coverage.

My teeth are so bad, with one broken tooth and receding gums on both the upper and lowers, it would probably cost around 20k to get them all fixed. But being unemployed and not being around any dental school, I can't do shit.

[dysfunctional press]

38. no- but then i only have two of my teeth left in my mouth...

the rest are in a glass of water in the bathroom.

btw- what are you having done that costs $20K?

[uppityperson]

57. For me, each root canal is $1500-2000, each crown the same.

Having a tooth cost $3000-4000 to fix is what it costs. $20 thou is 5-7 teeth. Not to mention if they have to do a gum cutting thing or implants.

[dysfunctional press]

that seems like a lot...have you shopped around on prices?

i had plenty of root canals and crowns, and i don't remember it being anywhere near that much.

[uppityperson]

69. actually I got a couple $200 crowns in Mexico when visiting

family living down near the border. Up here in WA, no such luck. They have gone up in price a lot the last 10 yrs, like doubled. They were $4-500 10 yrs ago, now are over a thousand.

And my insurance (delta dental) will only pay for amalgam fillings. bastards

[Manifestor_of_Light]

73. That's gross. Amalgam fillings are no bueno.

Besides the fact that mercury is not good for anybody, I've had several of those that cracked, and then cracked the tooth. Then I had to have a root canal, then I had the root canal removed because of anaerobic infections in the roots, and got em pulled and replaced with a bridge.

I got my fillings replaced with Cerex.

Amalgam fillings are a snowballing problem leading to tooth pulling, in my case. I still have lots of mercury in my body. I had a test for it.

[dysfunctional press]

75. for 20K worth of work- it might pay to consider india or cuba...

or somewhere that has 'medical tourism'.

you might be surprised.

you also may want to consider implants- or at least get a consultation first. :shrug:

[uppityperson]

76. MrUP is looking at an implant here. Still will be $3-4 thou for 1 tooth.

I really don't get it. How can I get a crown in Mexico for $200, yet it costs over $1000 here? Is it liability insurance?

[dysfunctional press]

78. implants are going down in price...

and if you have two or three teeth in a row that need root canals and crowns- they can do that same area with one implant, rather than one for each tooth.

[uppityperson]

85. 1 implant then double/triple crown/bridge thingy?

Pull 3 teeth, put an implant in the middle and add crowns on both sides to the crowned implant? That makes sense. We're checking with our Canadian dentist who we've used before. Thanks for the idea there also.

[dysfunctional press]

86. there would be one implant in the middle...

but the three-tooth span would be one solid piece

for instance- here's a full lower set that uses only 4 implant points-



to be honest, i don't know all that much about it- i just happened to notice it in a 'clear choice dental' ad in the paper- there they showed a drawing of full upper replacement in sections, and only 4 implant points- as opposed to the above picture of a lower that's one solid piece.

[uppityperson]

87. That is very neat. Would that be enough to keep manible strong?

I wonder, since that seems to be a big problem with pulling all lowers. Interesting, thank you.

[TBF]

39. Yes, I'm not sure if it's though CIGNA (our plan) or if it's separate. I do know the

premiums for everything (health, dental, eyecare for family of 4) total nearly $1,000 per month, before the $2500 deductible per person and myriad co-pays.

[nutsnberries]

42. yes and I just received a letter from Dental Blue informing me

that it's going up 45% for the coming year's premiums.
:mad: they'll be hearing from me. depending on their response (i'm hoping it's a mistake, but i doubt it), i may be looking for another provider.
My dentist's office is down to a minumum crew now. 1 hygienist, 1 dentist, 2 assistants and part-time office help. Ten years ago the same office had 3 hygienists, 2 dentists, 3 assistants and 2 full-time office people. He tells me people aren't taking care of their teeth anymore. Not that they don't want to, but because fewer people can afford it.
This has got to change. ~universal smile care!~ :D

[Highway61]

43. Wait a minute

Did you say $20K...that is ridiculous. I have run a dental office for about 4 years. Do you know how many patients we get for a "second" opinion...because they went to a dentist who offered a coupon for free cleaning, exam and X'rays? It was during the exam that they found all this work to be done. When they call for a second opinion, I tell them to bring the x'rays that were just taken and give them an appointment. (My doctor charges $25 for a 2nd opinion...yeah, he's a gem) The last patient we had with this was given an estimate of 6K worth of work when it was only $2200.00. They leave our office with a signed treatment plan with pricing from us. Done deal. He is coming to us to get the work done and we did NOT reduce any pricing. Be careful...there is a lot of greed going on out there. Look around.
Also, there is a program called "Care Credit." Interest free for a year. google them...they are not bad, especially for those who can't afford all the $ up front. We offer it all the time and it is a good option. As for dental insurance...be careful signing up...most plans have a "waiting period" (can be long...up to a year) for big work to be done.

[notadmblnd]

44. yes, but it pays no more than 1500.00 per year

and only covers half of anything outside of cleaning and x rays.

[Subdivisions]

46. No. And I recently paid for an evaluation visit and was told

that I needed extensive work. Though I have several choices of what to do, the cheapest choice is full dentures. The estimate from this particular dentist was $7000 and includes high-quality dentures made in-house. I can't even imagine coming up with that much cash.

[guitar man]

47. No :(

My company offers a so called "dental plan" but it isn't worth having. My daughter needs $500 worth of dental work done right now. I did the math the other day and found that if I had put her on the "dental plan" when she was born, to date I would have paid over $2k in premiums (she's 3 now) and for my $2k in premiums they would graciously agree to pay $200 (40%) of the $500 worth of work she needs done. Gee, thanks. :eyes:

They should outlaw these kinds of scams disguised as employee benefits. :grr:

In the meantime, I have a coffee can on the shelf I'm putting any extra money I can rustle into for her dental work. Slowly but surely I'm getting a little money in there anyway. In the meantime, my little girl suffers with her teeth :(

[sakabatou]

51. Yes, I have dental

[sammytko]

52. i have dental coverage through the VA because of tmj problems

The san antonio clinic is great. my dentist is a retired air force colonel and he loves his job. my father made sure we brushed our teeth and i have great teeth - some misaligned on the bottom, but nothing bad.

the dentist said i had the best looking teeth he had seen in a while. i brush several times a day, always floss at night and use a pre-brush rinse. I also started using a Crest spin brush. i too hate going to the dentist, but i like having nice teeth.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

53. No, because even the low-cost plan

I could qualify for as a self-employed person hardly covers anything and has a ridiculously low maximum benefit and ridiculously high co-pays.

[demgurl]

58. I use the local college.

They have a dental school and they do all sorts of things including removing wisdom teeth. They only charge you the cost. I have had fillings done and I have never walked away paying more than $20. And, no, I do not have dental insurance.

[tammywammy]

59. Yes, MetLife n/t

[aikoaiko]

60. yes, but its limited to 1k per year.

[AzDar]

61. We have it. STILL have to got to Los Algodones for dental work (other than preventative

for the kids).:grr:

[Fire1]

62. Yep, for what it's worth. Delta Dental.

[bigwillq]

64. Yes.

Through work.

[Aviation Pro]

70. My wife, the dentist, has told me that Medicare is the way....

...that most dentists are making a living nowadays. You might want to check out that route.

[PCIntern]

77. Really?

I'm a dentist in Philadelphia and don't know a single person who's covered by Medicare for dentistry. Someone better start telling people here....

:sarcasm:

[Aviation Pro]

80. She works pediatrics out here in Colorado....

...that's the way the practice she works for makes its income.

[PCIntern]

81. MedicAID...

there is no Medicare coverage to my knowledge for dentistry other than tumor resection or the like...

:hi:

[Aviation Pro]

84. Ah, my bad, yes Medicaid....

....however if you ask me about TOGA or some other esoteric aviation thingy I'm sure I'll get that right. :-)

[Blue_In_AK]

89. No, but thank goodness I did

when my youngest needed all her orthodontia. She would have sent me to the poorhouse. The insurance only paid 50%, but it was a big help, given the overall cost.

[blindpig]

90. Been there, done that.

Had to have all of my teeth removed a year ago. My history in this respect is similar to yours. All I can tell ya, if you'll have enough teeth left to chew with and can eliminate all infection then keep 'em. Dentures suck but they do beat toothlessness. You may find some foods difficult to negotiate but you can smile again. One bonus result was the disappearance of some nagging problems of the ear and GI tract, no doubt secondary infections. Also, I've lost 20lbs! Not that I recommend it for weight loss....

Good luck.