I've never really considered it until now.

Can you be more specific?

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Dental insurance doesn't really seem to be like regular insurance with regards to the premiums.

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mattkime
Can you be more specific?

Well, I'm 66 and never had anything major wrong with my teeth. I've had several minor things done. I hear stories about people spending tens of thousands on implants, crowns, root canals, etc. I would like to see if there are options to pay a set amount per month that would cover major procedures. I don't have the option of getting it through work. I see lots of offers but they're basically just discounts through certain providers. I'm not considering that.

freeradical is right. Outside of an employer group situation, it's very difficult to find dental "insurance" that doesn't just trade paying the dentist for paying the insurance company instead. That's because (again, outside of an employer group situation) people only get dental "insurance" if they intend to use it.

You can occasionally find coverage that makes sense... for a while, until the insurance company realizes their actuarial error.

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I'm on Humana for my Medicare Part D and they offered something but I lost all the material and haven't checked with them to see the details. I wonder if that's worth pursuing.

[www.deltadental.com]

I'm also 66. We get an employer plan through my wife's job. The above page possibly, depending on your state, has a plan through AARP which might fit your current needs.

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Saint Cloud, Minnesota, where the weather is wonderful even when it isn't.

My dad is a dentist. When I started working, I asked him which dental insurance companies/plan I should pick. "It doesn't matter," he told me. "They're all terrible."

How do you think insurance works? Its intended to cover unexpected and uncontrolled losses. Otherwise the buyers can game the system which drives up prices or sends insurers out of business.

Health insurance in this country has distorted the idea of insurance. Its really a way for employers to cover medical costs.

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Our dental insurance covers 2 cleanings/xrays per year and then covers half of other procedures up to a modest amount (maybe $1500 per year???). The cost of 2 cleanings amounts to approximately what the insurance costs per year so we get the insurance. Obviously there are many people who don't have the 2 cleanings per year else the insurance costs would be substantially higher. I looked for better insurance a couple of years ago and I came to the same conclusion that Will Collier's dad had--they are all terrible if you have any sort of major problems.

same here, about $100/month for family coverage via employer.

coverage includes two cleanings annually, pays 80% for restorations, 50% for other.

this year for me it covered a couple of replacement restorations at 80%.

one went bad several months later, so it paid 50% of the $2000 that the root canal plus crown cost.

I am probably just barely under the $1500 annual limit.

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Michael
Our dental insurance covers 2 cleanings/xrays per year and then covers half of other procedures up to a modest amount (maybe $1500 per year???). The cost of 2 cleanings amounts to approximately what the insurance costs per year so we get the insurance. Obviously there are many people who don't have the 2 cleanings per year else the insurance costs would be substantially higher. I looked for better insurance a couple of years ago and I came to the same conclusion that Will Collier's dad had--they are all terrible if you have any sort of major problems.

2 cleanings, yearly x rays and 50% is pretty standard. I was licensed in Washington State to sell health insurance up until about a year ago. They are all about the same. Sometimes in a specific situation, you can come out ahead with some policies.

If you plan ahead, knowing that in a year or two, kids need braces, then you can do well with some policies.