Ditching Dental Insurance.

[galaxy]

What do you think? Me and two kids. Extremely healthy and no dental issues. My monthly paycheck deductions for the year add up to a bit MORE than if we all three went twice a year for cleaning/checkups and paid out of pocket.

What am I missing? Talk me into keeping it. I figure someone gets nailed in the face with a baseball or other emergencies like that, medical insurance will cover that. Kids are past the age where they’re gonna need braces (or me pay for them at least;). What else should I consider? The random cavity??

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[Jaymar]

That's what insurance is for, the unexpected, large out-of-pocket expense. If you are near break-even on standard 6 month cleanings that you were going to get anyway and you get that additional coverage with dental insurance it seems a no brainer to me.

 

[RPDBlueMoon]

What do you think? Me and two kids. Extremely healthy and no dental issues. My monthly paycheck deductions for the year add up to a bit MORE than if we all three went twice a year for cleaning/checkups and paid out of pocket.

What am I missing? Talk me into keeping it. I figure someone gets nailed in the face with a baseball or other emergencies like that, medical insurance will cover that. Kids are past the age where they’re gonna need braces (or me pay for them at least;). What else should I consider? The random cavity??

Imo its not worth getting rid of it. Unless you have really good dental hyenine like flossing everynight, mouth wash, and have good brushing technique (like an electric toothbrush) I wouldn't do it. I skipped out on going to the dentists and ended up with deep pockets (periodontitis) in my gums. It was not fun at all to get it taken care of, it was both painful and expensive and that side of my mouth still hurts today. Bad dental hygiene + skipping out on the dentist will eventually catch up to you.

Genetics also has a big role in it to. Idk why but my mouth is susceptible to plaque build up. I think its because I usually produce alot of saliva (bacteria love your mouth). In the two years that I skipped out on the dentist my buddy never flossed and was lax with brushing. I brushed but never flossed and I ended up with the infection.

 

[RonsterGT]

Since I've been in the business 25 years, I'll give my 2 cents:

Keep it.

Do you have a comprehensive plan? Both Major Dental and Basic Dental?

Major coverage is for procedures like Crown and Bridge, Implants, Crowns (aka "caps"), Partial and Complete Dentures, Orthodontics etc...basically the big $$ procedures.

Basic is your x-rays, fillings, cleanings, extractions, flouride...the maintenance procedures.

I've had many patients over the years who dropped their coverage thinking they'd save $, only to be faced with a shitty diagnosis that cost five figures $$ to fix/treat. Hindsight being 20/20, keeping their plan and paying the co-pay would have cost far less.

Food for thought. Good luck!

 

[RonsterGT]

Imo its not worth getting rid of it. Unless you have really good dental hyenine like flossing everynight, mouth wash, and have good brushing technique (like an electric toothbrush) I wouldn't do it. I skipped out on going to the dentists and ended up with deep pockets (periodontitis) in my gums. It was not fun at all to get it taken care of, it was both painful and expensive and that side of my mouth still hurts today. Bad dental hygiene + skipping out on the dentist will eventually catch up to you.

Genetics also has a big role in it to. Idk why but my mouth is susceptible to plaque build up. I think its because I usually produce alot of saliva (bacteria love your mouth). In the two years that I skipped out on the dentist my buddy never flossed and was lax with brushing. I brushed but never flossed and I ended up with the infection.

High salivary calcium (from high blood calcium) can lead to the plaque accumulation.
You may find drinking a lot of water daily helpful, provided you don't have any health restrictions for doing so.
High salivary calcium may be due to genetics or medication (water pills especially).
If you don't like to floss (who does? lol), get a water-pik, they're great. I use one myself and love it.

And yes, you are correct, we can't escape genetics. All we can do is our best to keep our mouths clean with proper hygeine.

 

[Joe Mac]

If you guys play sports keep it

 

[RPDBlueMoon]

High salivary calcium (from high blood calcium) can lead to the plaque accumulation.
You may find drinking a lot of water daily helpful, provided you don't have any health restrictions for doing so.
High salivary calcium may be due to genetics or medication (water pills especially).
If you don't like to floss (who does? lol), get a water-pik, they're great. I use one myself and love it.

And yes, you are correct, we can't escape genetics. All we can do is our best to keep our mouths clean with proper hygeine.

Interesting, I didn't know that was a thing. I know that mouth bacteria really like saliva which leads to faster dental biofilm buildup so I thought that was it. My dentist calls me the saliva machine lol.. They always have to use 2 of those drool sucker machines whenever I have open my mouth. I had no idea calcium was in the saliva, makes sense why plaque builds faster because of it. It's most definitely my case.

Oh I floss now regardless of if I like it or not. I actually went into remission with the infection because I wasn't flossing properly, I didn't know there was a technique to it. To say it was an "learning experience" is an understatement lol. The procedure was so painful and the medicine was absolutely disgusting. After it healed I immediately went out and bought the best electric toothbrush on the market and I make sure to floss and rinse everyday. I got really good with flossing, I can feel the difference in how my teeth feel on the mornings I wake up when I floss vs not flossing.

 

[JCFoster]

I’d keep it. I’ve never had insurance pay for braces and bought three sets for around $15k. But, because I don’t I have it now, my two cleanings a year run around $150 a visit. And just had my gums worked on due to excessive receding that ran around $3,400 out of pocket. It’s more about when you’ll need than if.

 

[RonsterGT]

Interesting, I didn't know that was a thing. I know that mouth bacteria really like saliva which leads to faster dental biofilm buildup so I thought that was it. My dentist calls me the saliva machine lol.. They always have to use 2 of those drool sucker machines whenever I have open my mouth. I had no idea calcium was in the saliva, makes sense why plaque builds faster because of it. It's most definitely my case.

Oh I floss now regardless of if I like it or not. I actually went into remission with the infection because I wasn't flossing properly, I didn't know there was a technique to it. To say it was an "learning experience" is an understatement lol. The procedure was so painful and the medicine was absolutely disgusting. After it healed I immediately went out and bought the best electric toothbrush on the market and I make sure to floss and rinse everyday. I got really good with flossing, I can feel the difference in how my teeth feel on the mornings I wake up when I floss vs not flossing.

I have seen dentures, nightguards (to stop grinding) and anti-snoring appliances caked in plaque (tartar-calcium) and in the majority of cases, patients are taking a thiazide diuretic (water pill). There are also cases of low water intake and also cases of renal dysfunction/insufficiency leading to elevated serum calcium.
Water is your friend! The more you drink, the more it continually rinses/flushes your mouth.
Glad to hear you got a handle on the perio issues!

 

[joez3]

Have your kids have there wisdom teeth pulled yet? If not you might want to keep it.

 

[galaxy]

It's smart to review your dental insurance situation periodically. Despite your family's excellent dental health, unexpected issues can still pop up. Dental insurance offers peace of mind, covering emergencies or treatments like fillings. Plus, being prepared for unforeseen events is always a good idea.

What in the hell where you searching for to find this and resurrect a three year old thread?? Impressive, LOL!

 

[traktrbeam]

Talk me into keeping it.

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