I google it & I get so many discount plans pop up it’s insane. I just want a few to really read through. We have medical & vision…we just need dental.
With most discount plans, you get discount dentistry. So be careful. Discount dentistry means that lower quality materials are used and less experienced staff is assisting the dentist. Dentist are being paid a lower fee for their services, so they have to make up for it somewhere. Also, many offices who accept discount plans seem to over treat patients. (this is something I have witnessed with our patients who come back and ask if they need the $5,000.00 worth of treatment that the plan dentist is prescribing)
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Every single one of my patients who has purchased a Dental Plan on their own has canceled the plan because they end up paying more for the plan than the plan pays out.
If you do find a plan that you like read it over very carefully. There are often limits and waiting periods in the fine print. And if they pay based on a fee schedule, get a copy of that schedule and have it with you when you go to the dentist so that you know what your charges will be.
In my many years of experience, I have found that people who take good care of their teeth and go in for regular check ups are better off paying cash to the dentist than paying for a plan. But this is just my opinion.
#1 by pogo on May 2, 2010 - 5:33 am
If you live in CA, there’s a good HMO called California Dental Network.
Safeguard is a national HMO from MetLife. They are pretty good.
When I was researching, I went to DentalPlans.com but their plans can be crappy PPO’s which are like discount plans. But do a search there and see what you find.
The better plans are HMO’s like Blue Cross, Aetna, etc. but they’re expensive on premiums for non-employer groups (search for "Individual" coverage).
You’ll want to find one with at least free cleanings & x-rays. My plan (California Dental Net.), has crowns costing $140, braces $1695, that’s one of the lower cost co-pays I’ve seen yet.
Some people like Delta Dental cuz they have more dentists available, but I’ve heard bad things about their rules. What’s bad about HMO’s is their list of dentists can be limited/crappy quality. But I’ve done ok with that, it can be hard to get full-service care though (I think the dentists believe they’re getting screwed over by HMO’s)
References :
http://www.safeguard.net
http://www.caldental.net
http://www.deltadental.com/Public/Subscribers/IndCoverage.jsp?DView=SubscriberIndividual
http://www.dentalplans.com
#2 by frdrtd on May 2, 2010 - 5:42 am
With most discount plans, you get discount dentistry. So be careful. Discount dentistry means that lower quality materials are used and less experienced staff is assisting the dentist. Dentist are being paid a lower fee for their services, so they have to make up for it somewhere. Also, many offices who accept discount plans seem to over treat patients. (this is something I have witnessed with our patients who come back and ask if they need the $5,000.00 worth of treatment that the plan dentist is prescribing)
Every single one of my patients who has purchased a dental plan on their own has canceled the plan because they end up paying more for the plan than the plan pays out.
If you do find a plan that you like read it over very carefully. There are often limits and waiting periods in the fine print. And if they pay based on a fee schedule, get a copy of that schedule and have it with you when you go to the dentist so that you know what your charges will be.
In my many years of experience, I have found that people who take good care of their teeth and go in for regular check ups are better off paying cash to the dentist than paying for a plan. But this is just my opinion.
References :
30 yrs as a dental assistant/office manager