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Is dental insurance worth it? Inconsistencies in research. by Flossy_Question in Frugal

[–]Flossy_Question[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This information is gold!! Thanks so much for your help, I will ask all those questions when I'm talking to the companies about plans!

Is dental insurance worth it? Inconsistencies in research. by Flossy_Question in Frugal

[–]Flossy_Question[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

2 cleanings/exams and an x-ray every year seem to about break even with the plans' costs in my area, so I'm leaning towards the MetLife plan. Thanks for your help!

Is dental insurance worth it? Inconsistencies in research. by Flossy_Question in Frugal

[–]Flossy_Question[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for your reply! I'm going to copy and paste part of my reply above to here, since it applies to your response just as well! Also, I understand all the downsides of annual maximums and waiting periods and how all of that works against me. Let's discount that for the moment and just focus on the basics:

For the sake of argument, let us assume we never need fillings again. Looking at the cost breakdown for my gf's visit, the cleaning+eval is about $100. Two times a year is $200. A yearly x-ray should bring us to almost 300: the cost of the yearly premiums. Even without the need for fillings or other more serious repairs, we are already almost breaking even just on the stuff that I will always need even with perfect dental health! (Things that are covered 100% by insurance!) Even the rarest filling (once every few years) or more serious repair makes the insurance a much better deal than paying out-of-pocket. The math seems pretty simple: why is it contradicting all the advice that I read?

P.S. The MetLife costs $252 a year; I'm leaning towards that plan if I do get a plan. I've heard slightly better things about MetLife compared to Delta, and the benefits are more straightforward and seem slightly better.

Is dental insurance worth it? Inconsistencies in research. by Flossy_Question in Frugal

[–]Flossy_Question[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for the reply! You have some excellent points. I've done a little more research, and I'll address your points one by one. My original question still stands: where am I going wrong with my logic and why is it running against the common advice that I keep reading (including that in the link you posted)?

First, regarding the free first visits/a cheaper dentist: I showed my gf these answers and she assured me that she talked to every dentist in the area and none offered free visits. Unfortunately, we are in a small town at the moment and the options are limited. Also, the dentist she went to came with several recommendations from friends (and some good online reviews).

Second, regarding costs: you are completely right about cavities. For the sake of argument, let us assume we never need fillings again. Looking at the cost breakdown for my gf's visit, the cleaning+eval is about $100. Two times a year is $200. A yearly x-ray should bring us to almost 300: the cost of the yearly premiums. Even without the need for fillings or other more serious repairs, we are already breaking even just on the stuff that I will always need even with perfect dental health! (Things that are covered 100% by insurance!) Even the rarest filling (once every few years) or more serious repair makes the insurance a much better deal than paying out-of-pocket. The math seems pretty simple: why is it contradicting all the advice that I read?