I’ve got some major dental work coming up in the next year, and I’m trying to figure out if getting dental insurance is worth it.
My dentist told me I’ll probably need a tooth implant where one was pulled, and some gum grafting too. These sound pretty expensive, and I’m getting a bit stressed trying to figure out how to pay for it all. I haven’t seen the periodontist yet because he’s booked for 6 months, so I don’t have the exact cost yet.
The plans I’m looking at are around $50 a month with a $1500 annual maximum, but they have a 12-month wait on major procedures. When I look at what’s covered, it’s hard to know if these procedures will be included or if I’d be better off just paying with a credit card and doing a payment plan. Has anyone gone through this? Is dental insurance worth it for big stuff like this?
I had two root canals recently and went to an endodontist. What surprised me was that the work was actually covered by my health insurance, not dental.
Years ago, I saw a periodontist for some dental work, and that was covered by my health insurance too.
Your situation might be different, but it’s worth contacting your insurance company and asking them exactly what’s covered.
@Sawyer
Wait, so there are times when dental work can be covered by health insurance instead of dental insurance? That’s pretty interesting. Is it based on how serious the issue is?
I have really bad periodontal disease and some of my teeth are actually loose. When I went to the dentist a couple of weeks ago, they told me it’d cost a few thousand bucks, and that’s with ‘good’ insurance that covers 80% of major procedures. They didn’t mention anything about health insurance though, just kept pushing me to sign up for a credit line.
@Chen
Yeah, definitely ask about that! Your smile is a big deal, so it’s worth investing in. Even if it’s expensive, fixing your teeth is important—you’re worth it!
I used to work at a brokerage firm, and honestly, most of the dental plans aren’t much better than just saving up for what you need. A lot of them have low maximums or long waiting periods. We used to sell them as part of benefits packages, but they’re more of a money-maker for the company than a real deal for employees.