I'm blessed with excellent dental insurance, and a dentist who's great to work with.

I don't get cavities because I brush and floss regularly, but I grind my teeth when stressed or sleeping. (Common for high stress jobs.) I wear a nightguard to minimize damage at night, but I've already required a few crowns from molars being ground down, and am well on my way to eventually needing 6-8 more.

Without insurance, I'd have spent many thousands of dollars on my teeth already, with many more thousands to go. Hell, even a custom nightguard, which lasts me ~6 months, is about $500 without insurance, so that'd be about a grand per year alone.

With insurance, the crowns cost me like $150 each all told, which is like 2-3 visits worth of work apiece. And the nightguard costs me something like $80 every 3 years. (My insurance only covers a new nightguard every 3 years, whereas they only last ~6 months for heavy grinders like me. But my dentist only charges me when my insurance will cover it, and replaces it for free the other 4-5 times it wears out in between.)

quote:

Originally posted by Ryanp225:
I never could grasp why our health insurances don't cover teeth and eyes. It's shitty that they split that up.

Truth^^^^

It’s expensive as hell. With the amount of money I’ve put enough in my kids’ mouths the past 3-4 years I could’ve bought a brand new car, cash. A decent one too and we’re not done by a long shot. My wife and I often ask ourselves how ours kids wound up with such horrible teeth.

I know a fair amount of people who get their dental work done in Mexico, just walking across the border.

Most are retired and spend their winters along the US/Mexico border, a few live full time near the border.

Most say they’ve had really good work done by a Mexican dentists. One got hepatitis from an unclean treatment.

In fact, many people walk across the border and get eyeglasses, pharmaceuticals, etc.

Me? I’m going to my American dentist.

I grew up playing hockey - before visors and cages. I greatly appreciate the value of a good dentist/oral surgeon !

My family bartered with our dentist - probably a thing of the past - at least in most communities.

I would at least recommend an HSA/FSA so you are spending tax free dollars.

To answer the original question, save money knowing that as you age one day good dental work is going to cost you a lotta money.

quote:

Originally posted by Ryanp225:
I never could grasp why our health insurances don't cover teeth and eyes. It's shitty that they split that up.

Health insurance covers the bulk of eye care other than corrective glasses and basic eye exam.

Wife had significant ophthalmologist bills a few years ago and insurance covered it all other than our 10 percent copay.

I don't think I have an un-doctored tooth left in my head
Several root canals and crowns, cavities. It hurts but I tell my dentist as long as he can fix 'em I'll try to keep em to avoid dentures.

Most Ins I have had proved almost unless.
My Dentist gives me 20% off for cash and carry day of service...
might ask... Beats nothing.

Come to think of it, I've heard and read that Dental Schools need patients to learn on.

They need you.

All the work the dental students do is taught and monitored by real licensed dentists, their teachers.

I've heard the cost is very reasonable.

If you're near a Dental College, call them, or check their website.

Best wishes to you.

That is terrifying. ^^^^^^^

My son went to his pediatric dentist who said that he had six cavities and would cost around $1,000.00 to fix. I decided to take him to my dentist who couldn't find any cavities. My daughter had a similar situation. The pediatric dental group where they went was just trying to screw us over. My kids have been going to my dentist for a few years now and they still haven't had any cavities. He doesn't need to bilk people out of their money. He made millions investing in real estate and continues to practice dentistry because he loves it and is very good at what he does.

asked the Dentist if he thought Medicare would ever cover dental work. He said never in my lifetime, but then I am 70

quote:

Originally posted by grumpy1:

quote:

Originally posted by Ryanp225:
I never could grasp why our health insurances don't cover teeth and eyes. It's shitty that they split that up.

Health insurance covers the bulk of eye care other than corrective glasses and basic eye exam.

Wife had significant ophthalmologist bills a few years ago and insurance covered it all other than our 10 percent copay.

But basic yearly health exams are covered under preventative care in many insurance policies. Not all do that with yearly eye exams...and therein lies the rub. They farm it out to “vision plans” that pay a bare minimum to the provider and don’t typically care or integrate the patient’s actual ocular health into the patient record.

With a medical condition of the eye (that could possibly have been prevented with a routine yearly eye health exam), now you’re ponying up more $, and in most cases will have a deductible to meet before they start to pay (unless there were other health providers seen that already met the deductible).

Never mind all the conditions that become manifest through a routine annual eye exam. Diabetes and glaucoma are obvious choices, but there are so many more, particularly neurologic. It’s freaking scary, and when your GP gives you a quick peek with the ophthalmoscope, and has you read the eye chart, it just ain’t the same thing.
Don’t know how many times we’ve referred patients on to various specialists that've come in for a “basic” eye exam.

quote:

Originally posted by irreverent:
But basic yearly health exams are covered under preventative care in many insurance policies. Not all do that with yearly eye exams...and therein lies the rub. They farm it out to “vision plans” that pay a bare minimum to the provider and don’t typically care or integrate the patient’s actual ocular health into the patient record.

IMO, insurance shouldn't be involved in routine annual exams for anything. By their very nature, annual services defy the principal of shared risk. There is no "risk" in a 100% predictable service. The insurance companies are profiting because not all participants utilize a service, even if covered. As you noted, they also cut reimbursement to providers. If they are feeling generous, they may share a bit of the savings with consumers, but don't count on it. This is the equivalent of having your auto insurance pay for oil changes. You could do it, but there is no way it is cost effective.

quote:

Originally posted by MNSIG:
IMO, insurance shouldn't be involved in routine annual exams for anything. By their very nature, annual services defy the principal of shared risk...

This makes absolutely no sense. We’re not cars. Find a health care plan that does not cover routine annual exams if that’s what you want. The rest of us will continue to get the care and exams we need through the plans that we pay for.

quote:

Originally posted by PD:

quote:

Originally posted by MNSIG:
IMO, insurance shouldn't be involved in routine annual exams for anything. By their very nature, annual services defy the principal of shared risk...

This makes absolutely no sense. We’re not cars. Find a health care plan that does not cover routine annual exams if that’s what you want. The rest of us will continue to get the care and exams we need through the plans that we pay for.

You may not agree with it, but it is true. You are paying for that care in your premium and the insurance company is skimming profit out of it. Wouldn't you rather pay the physician directly (for routine exams) and cut out the middle man?

quote:

Originally posted by Suppressed:
My son went to his pediatric dentist who said that he had six cavities and would cost around $1,000.00 to fix. I decided to take him to my dentist who couldn't find any cavities. My daughter had a similar situation. The pediatric dental group where they went was just trying to screw us over. My kids have been going to my dentist for a few years now and they still haven't had any cavities. He doesn't need to bilk people out of their money. He made millions investing in real estate and continues to practice dentistry because he loves it and is very good at what he does.

Yep, there are some crooks out there. In addition to the outright fraud he's going to jail for, this local dentist apparently did a lot of unnecessary work for people who simply didn't need the work at all.

quote:

Originally posted by MNSIG:

quote:

Originally posted by PD:

quote:

Originally posted by MNSIG:
IMO, insurance shouldn't be involved in routine annual exams for anything. By their very nature, annual services defy the principal of shared risk...

This makes absolutely no sense. We’re not cars. Find a health care plan that does not cover routine annual exams if that’s what you want. The rest of us will continue to get the care and exams we need through the plans that we pay for.

You may not agree with it, but it is true. You are paying for that care in your premium and the insurance company is skimming profit out of it. Wouldn't you rather pay the physician directly (for routine exams) and cut out the middle man?

Way back in the 90’s, I was able to find “emergency” type insurance, as I was young and healthy, and didn’t feel the need for routine checkups. I have struggled to find it in recent years for individuals. I don’t mind not having routine care covered, but make it across the board for all routine visits across all fields then. Your eyes are so important, and provide clues to so many other illnesses. It amazes me how few people realize this until they are in dire straits, and don’t go to the eye doc til they’re in a jam.

That being said, I’d love to cut out the middleman, and pay the provider directly, but the general population has been educated and trained to believe they must have insurance for every aspect of life. There is now a whole industry(s) built on insurance- not just the companies themselves, but folks who’ve made various careers in interpreting insurance, their payouts, and how to maximize them.

I just had a pup I purchased that came with health insurance on her. Can’t tell you how many emails I’ve gotten from the animal insurance company after I let it lapse. One would think I committed a crime, instead of shouldering the responsibility of her medical care myself, without paying them x dollars every month, on the off chance she gets hurt, or has a poor genetic background (already did my research and chose a reputable breeder) fraught with disease. I’ve taken care of my own pets with my own dollars my whole life. I am not going to start using an insurance company for them. Ridiculous.

Oh, and to be fair, BCBS did send me a check last fall, reimbursing me for a few hundred dollars as I had faithfully paid my premium for myself and son all year, and hadn’t utilized their services at that point. At least somebody somewhere is paying attention (I suspect a watchdog org or law, as I’m sure BC didn’t do it out of goodwill, lol)..

quote:

Originally posted by MNSIG:

quote:

Originally posted by PD:

quote:

Originally posted by MNSIG:
IMO, insurance shouldn't be involved in routine annual exams for anything. By their very nature, annual services defy the principal of shared risk...

This makes absolutely no sense. We’re not cars. Find a health care plan that does not cover routine annual exams if that’s what you want. The rest of us will continue to get the care and exams we need through the plans that we pay for.

You may not agree with it, but it is true. You are paying for that care in your premium and the insurance company is skimming profit out of it. Wouldn't you rather pay the physician directly (for routine exams) and cut out the middle man?

Physician or dentist? For most people dental plans suck even though they may have a great health care plan. I actually agree with you but for different reasons. My health plans (yes - plural) are excellent and redundant. Dental sucks. It sucks so bad I only use it for cleanings and only at 50%. If I chose a hack dentist who graduated at the bottom of the class Delta Dental might pay for simple extractions and Chinese lab work. Thats’s right. Many dentists use Chinese labs and expedited shipping.

My dentists are considered the best in their field and out of network. They don’t accept insurance and they’re expensive. I get a cash discount to offset the pain. However, you can’t have a husband and wife who live paycheck to paycheck with three kids do what you and I do. Braces, cleanings, floride, and cavities are a huge burden on a family.

If Arkansas has a dental college , they can be a very affordable way to go .
The U of Iowa
charges about half of what a regular dentist charges,
yes there are hoops to jump through and it can take a little longer .

but its worth it for a lot of people w/o lives