Budget Buster - Dentist for the kids! Why do I have insurance?!

[Blessed_wth_Triplets]

Sorry...just a vent here. Took the triplets for their cleaning...after x-ray copays and the estimate for NINE cavities for all three...plus sealants...$700!!!

Seriously...why do I even have insurance?...what a joke...

 

[pyrxtc]

I would double check the cavities, It shouldn't cost anywhere near that much if you have dental insurance. Maybe they input it wrong ?

 

[java]

Are these baby teeth? I see your signature shows them as 7. They wanted to seal my 5 year olds teeth and I asked why? She said to avoid cavaties. I replied aren't these all going to fall out? She changed the subject.
We didn't seal.
That's outrageous.

 

[allison443]

Sorry...just a vent here. Took the triplets for their cleaning...after x-ray copays and the estimate for NINE cavities for all three...plus sealants...$700!!!

Seriously...why do I even have insurance?...what a joke...

How much is your insurance covering? Ours covers cleanings and xrays but the cavities we would pay 20%. You must be paying a very high percentage, or are they not covering the cavities at all?

 

[Tink415]

I hear ya Op!

Even with good / excellent dental coverage out of pocket cost can be high.

Our dentist charges $239 for a composite filling, insurance pays 80%. It adds up fast.

Sealants charge is $61 per tooth. My 10 year old had 12 teeth sealed recently, insurance paid $244, we paid $488; not all of the teeth are eligible for sealant coverage. We also had baby teeth sealed, I can't remember what it cost then.

 

[LoveBWVVBR]

Are these baby teeth? I see your signature shows them as 7. They wanted to seal my 5 year olds teeth and I asked why? She said to avoid cavaties. I replied aren't these all going to fall out? She changed the subject.
We didn't seal.
That's outrageous.

Doesn't decay in the baby teeth sometimes decay the adult teeth below, though? I am waiting on my 4.5 y.o.'s dentist to agree to seal her baby teeth. I would spend the extra $$ to protect her adult teeth below.

 

[seashoreCM]

We didn't seal.

Yes, a badly decayed or an extracted baby tooth will cause problems with permanent teeth later. Heroic measures, including good fillings for baby teeth, are also proper and in order.
Please, save your dear the misery and pain of cavities, which can continue on into adulthood, by doing the sealing of the baby teeth too.

Health hints: http://www.cockam.com/health.htm

 

[pgumiela]

Sorry...just a vent here. Took the triplets for their cleaning...after x-ray copays and the estimate for NINE cavities for all three...plus sealants...$700!!!

Seriously...why do I even have insurance?...what a joke...

My 8 year old had two deep cavities that the dentist decided needed pulpotomys and caps. They gave me the estimate for both teeth with what they said my insurance would pay and what my part that I had to pay up front was.

Of course after I picked my self up off of the floor I wrote a check and we had the work done. But then weeks later I got my EOB from the dental insurance company and it showed that they paid way more than the dentist office said they would. I was mad, why make me pay three hundred dollars over what I need to, saying that you had contacted the insurance company and that was my portion when it wasn't. We called the office and they were sending us a refund check, so it worked out, but really they should give accurate estimates.

 

[Leader of the Club]

My DD21 and DS13 just went for a cleaning and check up. We have NO dental coverage, so count yourself lucky that you get some of it covered.

DS13 has no problems,

DD21 has a $4400 treatment plan! This is not cosmetic work.

Not sure where I am going to come up with the $$$$ for that!!!

If I sold everything in my house, I don't think I could get $4400!

 

[Alexander]

DS used to go to a pediatric dentist and she was wonderful because she specialized in children, but her rates were sky-high! He had two small fillings in his baby teeth, and she used the white fillings rather than the silver. Our insurance covers fillings in full, but not the extra cost of the white ones. Well, lo and behold, the white ones also don't last as long! Within a year, one had cracked and she wanted to replace both of them "just in case".

I left the office, made an appointment with another dentist who looked at the cracked filling and informed me that that tooth would be falling out within 6 months or so and suggested we just pull it. Voila! Done! The other filling is still intact and it has been 3 years! It is so frustrating when dentists "make up" procedures to secure the bottom line.

 

[disneysmiles]

Well the secret will be out the boards now. I am a dentist. Disneysmiles = super cheesy dentist. 700 for 9 fillings and sealants on permanant 1st molars for 3 kids sounds about right - with insurance...

There are very few dental insurances that actually cover eveything. Unfortunately. I know it is a shocker to see a bill when you already have dental insurance.

I agree with some other posters. Try seeing a family dentist, thier rates can be less expensive since pediatric dentist charge specialist rates. Sometimes a second opinion is in order. Be sure to have copies of xrays, or you will get charge for xrays if you go to another office. If the decay is on primary teeth, it isn't that deep and the tooth with be coming out in ~6 months anyway- it's not a big deal. However, if the tooth won't come out until they are 12, it should be filled. Otherwise you could have some space management issues if it has to come out prematurely.

Encourage your kids to brush thier teeth and a flouride mouthrinse may be in order to prevent further fillings. Less money at the dentist = more money for disney.

Good luck!

 

[ajk912]

It's probably your deductible that's getting you. Once our deductible is met, we pay about $50 per silver filling and sealants are covered once per lifetime on the back molars only. Otherwise, they are $70 I think? We have an 80/20 plan.

 

[BridgetBordeaux]

Thanks for speaking up Disneysmiles. It's always nice to hear from various professions here on the boards.

 

[yeahdisney]

Remember the year you got back $1600 from the Feds as a bonus refund. Well all of it went to DS's Ped dentist for his new 5 cavities, they also filled with the white filling. We had been to a different dentist 6 months prior and they said no cavities.

Finally the kids can go to my dentist, due to their getting older. Huh-we just went this week and now that I think of it neither have had one cavity again since we switched dentist.

When we were switching dentist it was because our insurance would change each year and where we live no one took little kids. Now I just pay out of pocket for a non preferred dentist but my dentist will let us take advantage of 3 cleanings with only 2 exam a year-all the others had said no exam then no extra yearly cleaning .

 

[mlynn]

My dd had her teeth sealed last week and it was covered 100% with her yearly cleaning. My youngest just had a tooth filled yesterday this will cost me $123 when the bill comes my insurance pays 80/20.

Call your insurance and asked them if they get a yearly cleaning and ask if the teeth sealed is covered under that??

 

[cassandrap83]

I would never ever get an amalgum/silver filling in my child's mouth. Before you do, you should watch 'The Beautiful Truth'. It's a documentary available on Netflix for sure, maybe other places too.

Amalgum fillings contain Mercury, the same way vaccines used to. It was removed from vaccines, but not amalgum fillings. Mercury vapor is continuously released from amalgum fillings and mercury exposure has been linked to autims, dementia, add, heart disease, cancer...etc.

You would never let your child handle mercury, but you would put it in their mouths? I feel awful about my daughter's first cavity that was filled with an amalgum filling, and am thankful that it will be falling out soon.

I'm not trying to be preachy or talk about a conspiracy theory. I'm just traying to make you aware, if you weren't already. I had NO CLUE about any of this until after I did some research...

 

[mjkacmom]

We go to a very nice family dentist, upscale office (flat screen tv's in all of the rooms, digital xrays...), and I've never paid more than $300 a year (we all go every 6 months). They only do sealants for molars, and use silver for baby teeth. Maybe we have good insurance? Braces here are $6200, so it's not like we have inexpensive dental here.

 

[ExPirateShopGirl]

MANY (not all, but many) cavities in young children can be prevented with additional brushings, flossing, anti-cavity rinses, parental supervision, dietary changes. Dentists (rightfully) bombard patients with tips and information on the prevention of tooth decay and gum disease... and yet patients seem to be more suspicious of any treatment plans because dental insurance sucks. Oh, the irony!

 

[CowboyCO]

Dental insurance isn't rally insurance. Most policies have have a maximum benefit of $1,000-$2,000 a year and have copays and deductibles. Dentistry is not medecine, it's degenerative maintenance. You will always have dental expenses, not the same as medical.

 

[Cheshire Figment]

Several months ago I had a root canal done by an endontist. The fee was $706 and my insurance paid 50%, which is normal. The dentist told me that the $706 was a negotiated rate; without insurance the bill would have been about $950.