Dental Insurance
To have, or not, that is the question
Though we all know that having medical insurance is important, dental insurance is less so. Sure emergencies can arrive unexpectedly with both, but the medical ones are going to cost you a lot more than the dental ones. That’s not to say that dental work is cheap; crowns can run up to $1,500 and a root canal can range from $300-1,000. Not everyone has these kinds of emergencies, and for some insurance may save them a great deal of money, while others may lose some.
One thing is clear. You can’t wait until the last minute to get insurance. If you have a toothache, then get insurance, it can be 6-18 months before your insurance will cover you for it. This is to prevent people from doing just that, and if you’ve ever had a toothache, you know that it is practically impossible to wait that long.
There are many different kinds of plans for dental work. Some are merely discount plans where you pay a yearly fee and get a percentage off your dental work for the year.
Other’s may not have a deductible, but they will have a yearly maximum. Everything during the year will be covered until you hit the maximum, then you are responsible for everything above and beyond that amount. It can really save you a bunch if something is wrong with your teeth, but you may lose a bit of money with the standard preventative care.
Then there are other types, that work more along the lines of your traditional insurance. It’s important to read your policy before you purchase it, so you will know exactly what is and isn’t covered. Having an abscess tooth is not the time for unhappy surprises.
There are many dental problems that can be hereditary. If your family has a history of gum disease or has weak enamel on their teeth, there is a chance you might too, and that could be a really good reason for getting coverage before you need it. That’s not to say that people with clear family histories will not have these problems, but it is one of the indicators.
Insurance companies, as with all other companies, need to make money, so there might be many years where you feel that you have lost money, however, it’s the times when you’re hurting and you really need it that you’re so glad you kept it for all of those years.
If you have an emergency fund tucked away, and have relatively healthy teeth, dental insurance might not be something that you need, but if you feel even the littlest bit nervous about not having it, then it is definitely something that you are going to want to look into.