Dental Insurance needed

[Tigger2ntinkerbell]

Does anyone know of a dental insurance that you don't have a waiting period to get a crown done. My tooth is killing me.

 

[supersnoop]

Dental insurance is practically worthless. Talk to your dentist about a cash discount.

 

[SandyinMonterey]

I've never had a waiting period to have anything done once I was signed up with the provider.

 

[pat fan]

Most dentists also offer a payment plan, and/or a program where you get a credit card type deal and put your dental expenses on that and pay it off. I am sorry I can't think of the name of the program with the CC, but I know I applied for it after I got a bill from them for $2,000 when they said the amount I would owe was $200!!!

My DH wound up saying he'd rather use our tax refund to pay it than get a CC, so that's what we did, but I had applied and gotten the CC, we just didn't use it. Since I didn't use it, they cancelled the account after one year.

Meanwhile, go buy some oil of clove. Put some on a Q-tip and use the Q-tip to apply to the tooth. Do NOT get it on your gums, will burn like the dickens. This is supposed to numb the tooth. Good luck, nothing worse than a toothache.

 

[runsandjumps]

The credit card is called care credit.

A dental insurance option we have in WA state is through Delta Dental- they have them throughout most states- they do have a cash plan that is around $70 a month in our area that offers a discounted rate- with no maximum or waiting periods. Life wise has a similar cash program. Otherwise, care credit is a good option but it is like a furniture store card. If you miss a payment or are late, the apr of 26% is retro.

I don't usually recommend this to patients unless they are great with payments and qualify through GE money bank.

Ana

 

[dawnhaze]

When I lost my dental insurance after I left my last job, I signed up for a membership based dental discount plan called EDP Dental. I've been happy with it so far. I'm not sure if it's specific to NY or not - if so, other places probably have something similar.

If you live in or near a major city, you can also look at Groupon and LivingSocial - I've seen deals for crowns and other dental work on those sites. Or if there's a dental school nearby that has a training clinic, that can be a last resort as well.

 

[Lisa71]

If you have insurance it is usually the 1st of the 15th for a start date and none cover a crown 100% that I know of. Care credit often has a 0 percent period based on your amount owed..but then it goes way up. Get your tooth fixed and apply for care credit online ASAP..then pay it off and get insurance. Hope you are better soon.

 

[Lisa71]

Also a lot of dental schools are good and cheaper...they are a great resource.

 

[ceecee]

Most of the private dental plans will have high premiums and waiting periods so people don't sign up get the max work done and cancel. I agree with a dental school or CareCredit. The dentist basically pays a fee to use the card and it depends on how they set it up for how long you can go. We take it at our office and it's 12 mos interest free for over $300 (I think) and the longest interest free plan we offer is 18 mos for over $1000. Ask around some may do in office payment plans as well. I personally don't think I would rely on Groupon,etc. Ask for references of friends and call them to price compare, if you pay that much you may as well get it done right.

 

[sweetpeakaris]

I pay $37 a month for BCBS dental but they have a 6mos waiting period for crowns & anything other than preventable.

 

[drinkme]

If your tooth hurts won't you need probably a root canal AND a crown? Now you're talking big bucks. I think my share for a root canal I just got last month (after my insurance) was around $300. I am going for my crown next week. After insurance my share is somewhere over $600. I think it's insane what you have to pay to have dental care.

Anyway, to the OP, if money is an issue, try a dental school. Or, if it's a back molar you can always just get it pulled. Not the best solution but one that many people have to choose because of the expense in trying to save a tooth.

Another option is to go online and check out care credit.

Good luck. I know what it's like to have a tooth ache!

 

[pat fan]

You don't HAVE to have a crown on a root canal tooth. They recommend it, but you don't have to get it. You can always get it later, too.

I have had two root canals recently. Cost is $1,200-$1,500 per root canal. The crowns I got (one on a root canal and one not a root canal) were in the ball park of the root canal I believe. Harder to tell because the root canal is done at a different office and you sign the bill and the crowns were done by my dentists and I don't see the "real" bill. Might have been around $900 each. I have two dental insurances, thank goodness.

 

[Sadie22]

How do you know you don't just need a filling? If your tooth hurts, get it taken care of sooner rather than later so it doesn't get worse and end up in the loss of the tooth or a more expensive repair. You could check with your local health department for suggestions.