Monday, May 17, 2010

Dental insurance...braces..help?

what would happen if i got dental insurance, put my braces on. and then after they paid for the procedure cancelled the insurance? and how log does it take for braces to fix a space between your teeth?

Dental insurance...braces..help?
Many people would do just what you suggested so the dental insurance has a waiting period before they'll cover major procedures such as braces. Then they'll only cover a portion of the cost.





You have four options with dental.





1. Visit a local dental school. You can get many procedures done for a reduced price if you're willing to let them practice on you.





2. Insurance - Depending upon the policy: cost $30-$60 per month. You pay a $50 deductible first, they have an annual maximum that they'll pay per year of $750 - $1500, they have a waiting period up to 18 months for major work and then you're paying 50% of the charges. Example - average cost for a root canal in my area is $829. With insurance you pay $414 after paying 18 months of premium (around $800 or $900). Advantage - you can use any dentist with most plans.





3. Discount plans - Cost - $5-$12 per month. No deductible, no annual maximum and no waiting periods. Also, hardly any dentists will accept the plan and when they do you MIGHT get a 10% discount, which is about the same discount you can get by paying cash. Example - average cost for a root canal in my area is $829. With discount plans you pay around $746. Be very wary of these plans because most are scams. The people that sell these plans have little or no knowledge about health %26amp; dental insurance and do not need a license to sell them. The plans are not regulated by the state so you have no recourse when you have problems. Some states are starting to ban these plans from being sold. Here is an informative link http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/wes... concerning these plans.





4. Fee for Service discount plans - Cost $7-$15 per month. No deductible, no annual maximum and no waiting periods. Many dentist will accept the plan (check providers first before signing up with any plan). When you use the plan there is a set fee that the dentist will charge you. Example - average cost for a root canal in my area is $829. With fee for service plans you pay as little as $404.





I'm an insurance agent and my personal plan is the fee for service plan. I got mine here http://www.dpbrokers.com/default.aspx?lo... specifically the Aetna Dental Access plan but which one you get depends upon your area and comparing the fee schedule to find the best for what you need covered.
Reply:Dental insurance only covers a portion of the braces cost not all of it. They only pay a portion of it up front and then make monthly payments until their portion is paid off. You have pay the rest yourself.
Reply:well, dental insurance that will cover braces could be pretty pricey and may not even cover all of the expenses. Most people are in brace for approx. 2 years and the typical cost, depending on where you live is 4500 dollars. If all you care about is a space between your front teeth, I would encourage you to get more than one opinion. some orthos may want to give you a full set but some might offer partial treatment. If you can find someone who will do partial treatment, it may be cheaper to do that rather than get insurance.





Now, after saying all that. It is very important that you see your dentist regularly and I would suggest that you do get some kind of dental insurance, just not necessarily one that gets you braces. Afterall, there is no point in spending big bucks on braces if you aren't going to take care of your teeth.


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