Dental costs even with Insurance

[breathemusic]

I have actually had a pretty decent experience with dental insurance (GEHA) so far. Granted, I work for the federal gov't, so my plan doesn't really cost as much as it would for some people. But I literally just got my final crown yesterday after a root canal/crown procedure and I'm so gratefuly for having the insurance. I have the high option since I actually knew I might likely be needing some costly work in the future (long story short, after years of never going to the dentist, I needed a few fillings. Made the mistake of just picking a close dentist rather than looking for a good dentist and got crappy work that then had to be fixed at a MUCH higher cost by a new dentist).

Anyway, my dental insurance covered 50% of the root canal and the crown, and even more for the other stuff like x-rays and the exams, and what would have cost me probably between $2500 and $3000, is now going to cost me about $1000. BTW, my insurance will pay out up to $5,000 a year with the high option. I used to have the basic and even that was something like $3k. (I only wish I'd planned this out better so that I had put more in my FSA instead of the tiny amount that I did).

I realize that dental plans might not be for everyone, but in my case, feel like I'm glad that I had it. This is my only set of teeth, and even though it was my very back molar, I don't want a tooth pulled that is going to lead to my teeth possibly shifting around in the future or causing other problems.

[mom-from-missouri]

My dad has been using the dental school in the city for years, never a problem. He started years ago when his friends daughter was a dental student.

Nice part is, they charge less than half of the dental offices and they still take most insurance plans.

An instructor oversees all the work, and is in the same room at the time it is done.

He has had a couple root canals and bridgework done there.

[denver smith]

Dental costs even with Insurance

Dental care is expensive. And dental insurance is so expensive and so limited that it may not be worth the cost.I work in a dental office that deals with Dental Implant cases, so I deal with this stuff all day. Dental insurance shouldn't even be called "insurance"- it's not like medical insurance where it has a relatively high maximum limit. It's really more like a coupon for $1000 or $2000 and if you don't use it, you lose it, and if you exceed that amount, you're on your own. Oh, and the insurance company gets to decide what they're going to pay for- it's not like you can use your yearly allotment for whatever you need.