High dental bills? I sympathize!

[mathjak107]

i have had a full top for 7 years . it is do-able . nothing like the feeling and strength of implants but the top works fine with a full denture ..

the bottom is non negotiable for me . the denture gave me a quality of life that sucked . implants , as long as i don't reject them are transparent to life .

 

[MRG]

No way. I've known people with dentures- you can ALMOST always tell (I can think of one friend who has them and I didn't know till he told me). From what I've seen/read, the jawbone shrinks over time because it doesn't get the stimulation from chewing that it gets when you have teeth, so even well-fitting dentures will need to be replaced from time to time. In some of the sadder cases I've seen, one woman actually has slightly garbled speech (I'm guessing she needs new dentures and can't afford them) and another friend went through 2 tubes of Poli-Grip every week.

I also eat mass quantities of fresh fruits and vegetables, many of which require vigorous chewing. I'm not sure how they'd work around my current implants if I needed a full set of them but I'd make it a financial priority if needed. I'm blessed that I can even think about it, I know.

+1
BIL is a dentist and he always recommends implant for folks who can afford them because of the bone loss.

You can tell most folks with full dentures from a distance. Of course I'm reminded of one guy in the mill, no teeth, no dentures. His wife used to cook pork chops for his dinner, remember the ones in the 70s that resembled beef jerky.

 

[pacergal]

I was a Navy brat, and I am convinced to this day that the Navy dentists experimented on my sister and I. We used to sit, every 6 months, for 45 minutes with trays filled to the brim with a god-awful cherry tasting fluoride treatment and a suction tube. My teeth are in really good shape for yours now, but I may have holes in my brain or something else from all of the fluoride!

OMG, this brought shivers to my body. I remember the mouth trays and that god-awful stuff. Every six months like clockwork, still ended up with a mouthful of fillings (now crowns/implants). Topical fluoride does not work as well as fluoridated water, I don't believe.

 

[zack59]

Has anyone used a dental plan offered as an option to buy with a ACA plan? If so did they discount crowns, bridges, root canals etc. and have a OOP maximum?

 

[FIREd]

Has anyone used a dental plan offered as an option to buy with a ACA plan? If so did they discount crowns, bridges, root canals etc. and have a OOP maximum?

I have. No OOP max, but I get discounts on crowns, root canals, etc... My annual premium for 2017 was about $480. The insurance paid out the maximum benefit ($1,000) and I received about $2,500 in additional discounts. I was billed a total of $6,300 (2 root canals, 2 crowns, cavities, gum treatment) but paid only ~$2,800 out of pocket.

 

[zack59]

I have. No OOP max, but I get discounts on crowns, root canals, etc... My annual premium for 2017 was about $480. The insurance paid out the maximum benefit ($1,000) and I received about $2,500 in additional discounts. I was billed a total of $6,300 (2 root canals, 2 crowns, cavities, gum treatment) but paid only ~$2,800 out of pocket.

Would you be able to provide name of that company if offered under ACA?

 

[FIREd]

Would you be able to provide name of that company if offered under ACA?

Delta Dental. I am not sure whether it is offered everywhere. I chose the most comprehensive plan available from healthcare.gov in my area.

 

[zack59]

Delta Dental. I am not sure whether it is offered everywhere. I chose the most comprehensive plan available from healthcare.gov in my area.

Was there a waiting period before major work was covered?

 

[FIREd]

Was there a waiting period before major work was covered?

Not sure, as I have had no lapse in dental insurance coverage with Delta Dental for 10+years. My wife's employer was paying our premiums until she retired. But nowhere do I see a waiting period in the plan brochure (except for missing teeth).

 

[MBAustin]

I've had a root canal and 5 crowns over the past several years, so probably close to $10K. At my last visit, the dentist noticed another tooth with a large filling (I have lots of those) starting to show signs of fracture. So, after putting it off for several years since it was suggested to me, I am 3 weeks into Invisalign braces to improve my bite and reduce the forces on these teeth. That's another $5K, but I figure if it prevents a few crowns, it will pay for itself. Not to mention, I don't want to end up 20 years from now with my teeth in a horrible state and needing to be pulled, which is what happened to my mother in her late 70s.

We did not have fluoridated H2O where I grew up, and our dentist was a family friend that I only found out was incompetent until I was in my 20s and most of my (many) fillings had to be drilled out and replaced due to decay under them.

 

[athena53]

Delta Dental. I am not sure whether it is offered everywhere. I chose the most comprehensive plan available from healthcare.gov in my area.

I've checked out Delta Dental in my area. Premium was comparable, max they would pay was the same ($1,000/year). They DID have a waiting period on everything except cleaning and that's what turned me off when I considered it at retirement. I'd had continuous coverage from other insurers for years and had had regular care, so it wasn't like I decided to sign up after I found I needed major work. On a whim I checked it again when it showed up in my FaceBook feed as "Affordable dental plans for seniors" and it still has a waiting period.

 

[Bklyn55]

Dental costs are free up to $1,800 a year under my union benefits. After that, there is a schedule of allowances. Didn’t pay a dime my first year of retirement. After reading this thread I realize how fortunate I am!!

 

[braumeister]

Our dental insurance works like this:

• All preventive care (cleanings, exams, X-rays) covered 100%
  
• Restorative (fillings, extractions, bridges, dentures) 50%
  
• Deductible is $50 per person
  
• Annual maximum benefit is $1,000 per person

For this coverage we pay $372 a year for two people.
I think it's a very good plan. It's subsidized by DW's last employer (retirees get the same deal as employees).

 

[Teacher Terry]

When I had a denture on the bottom it would go up and down when I talked. I had to eat only soft food. Ugh! The top is easier to wear. However, I upgraded to implants and a snap in denture on top and was well worth the 11k. On the bottom I have the best which is permanent denture held in by implants. These rarely fail. If my top fails I would probably just go back to the denture.

 

[zack59]

Doesn't the dentist and the insurance company have negotiated rates for major work? Then the patient pays a portion of the negotiated rate.
OOP may not apply.

 

[athena53]

You can tell most folks with full dentures from a distance.

This brought back a weird childhood memory; I remember my paternal grandmother staying with us once, and watching in fascination as she took out her teeth and brushed them. I asked her why my teeth didn't work that way. She said, "When you're a Grandma you'll be able to do that, too."

My oldest granddaughter is 3 1/2 years old. I'm glad my teeth still aren't the removable kind!

 

[mn54]

OMG, this brought shivers to my body. I remember the mouth trays and that god-awful stuff. Every six months like clockwork, still ended up with a mouthful of fillings (now crowns/implants). Topical fluoride does not work as well as fluoridated water, I don't believe.

Most offices now use a fluoride varnish instead of the gels or foam in trays. Much easier and more effective. You can't compare the fluoride treatment that you get twice a year to fluoridated water that you drink every day. Both help to prevent decay but the water you drink every day is more effective.

 

[bobandsherry]

Has anyone used a dental plan offered as an option to buy with a ACA plan? If so did they discount crowns, bridges, root canals etc. and have a OOP maximum?

When my wife and I retired we asked our Dentist about insurance plans. His recommendation was don't waste your money. Most dental insurance plans are not worth much. They usually cap at $1,000 coverage, and that after some significant deductibles. I had looked and found that it cost $30+/mo for a basic plan, so I would end up spending $360 (each) to get $1,000 in possible coverage (after meeting my deductible).

I did find a decent dental plan here -> DentalPlans

The whole Suze Orman touch on their webpage had me skeptical, but I can attest that it was worth it. The plan was regularly $199 but they had a promotion offered. With the promo I ended up paying $164 ($144 plus $20 processing fee) for the TWO of us for 15 months (3 months free was part of the promo) through CignaCare. Also look around, you can find cashback sites like you see on TV for them as well, I got 20% cash back.

I know I saved well above what I paid for the plan just in the cost of the 6 month check-up/cleaning for both of us. The dentist would normally charge $110, we paid $44 with the plan. I saved over $250 just with the routine check-up and cleaning.

On top of that, we had to have filings, root canal and crown. Yep, a bad year. Our dentist had provided us a quote for the services, I had sticker shock is prompted me to look for a way to save a buck or two. We saved $120 on filing, $830 on root canal and $400 on crown, this is based on what the dentist had initially quoted and what we paid under the dental plan.

Our savings have been $1,600 this year. I compared with the typical dental insurance, we paid less with the dental plan than we would have with the traditional insurance.

Honestly, I thought there'd be some catch or gimmick, but there wasn't. There's no forms to fill out at the dentist (just show them your card) or reimbursement. There's also no cap limit, no waiting period either.

You can check for yourself, you can select a dentist and then view sample of their fees. I found that the cost of procedures will vary by dentist.

 

[Birdie Num Nums]

I was told long ago to brush twice a day and "floss the ones you wanna keep." I've learned that helps a lot to reduce future dental costs.

 

[irishgal]

This brought back a weird childhood memory; I remember my paternal grandmother staying with us once, and watching in fascination as she took out her teeth and brushed them. I asked her why my teeth didn't work that way. She said, "When you're a Grandma you'll be able to do that, too."

My oldest granddaughter is 3 1/2 years old. I'm glad my teeth still aren't the removable kind!

Wow, that really speaks to how times have changed.

 

[MRG]

This brought back a weird childhood memory; I remember my paternal grandmother staying with us once, and watching in fascination as she took out her teeth and brushed them. I asked her why my teeth didn't work that way. She said, "When you're a Grandma you'll be able to do that, too."

My oldest granddaughter is 3 1/2 years old. I'm glad my teeth still aren't the removable kind!

Your post brought back a weird childhood memory! My maternal grandmother flushed her partial on Thanksgiving! OMG I must have been 4-5 years old.

I remember my DF being really upset as he unsuccessfully tried to reclaim them..

She was sweet, her second husband a bizzare kinda throw back guy. I guess they both were, born around 1890.

I guess a good lesson is to keep grandmas/pas teeth in her mouth if possible.

 

[mamadogmamacat]

Neophyte here, in that next month will be my first dentist visit w/o insurance as my COBRA ran out 6 months ago and have not found a plan worth having yet, if i ever will. I have had relatively bad teeth my whole life. had first two pulled at age 11, and 3 more removed over the 46 yrs since then. No implants yet but have had some oral surgery to move tissue from other parts of my mouth to build up my lower gums. Lots of recession now in my upper gums, so expect i will start spending like a drunken sailor on my teeth in the years ahead. Thanks for sharing your experiences and expenses.

In addition to the cost, i dread it also because I find the dentist chair experience rather miserable. Always have, since childhood. I have a great dentist and a good hygienist Very nice people. They even do cat TNR out of their office as it abuts a park. So, definitely my kind of people.

 

[aja8888]

Neophyte here, in that next month will be my first dentist visit w/o insurance as my COBRA ran out 6 months ago and have not found a plan worth having yet, if i ever will. I have had relatively bad teeth my whole life. had first two pulled at age 11, and 3 more removed over the 46 yrs since then. No implants yet but have had some oral surgery to move tissue from other parts of my mouth to build up my lower gums. Lots of recession now in my upper gums, so expect i will start spending like a drunken sailor on my teeth in the years ahead. Thanks for sharing your experiences and expenses.

In addition to the cost, i dread it also because I find the dentist chair experience rather miserable. Always have, since childhood. I have a great dentist and a good hygienist Very nice people. They even do cat TNR out of their office as it abuts a park. So, definitely my kind of people.

What I found this year is my newly chosen dentist and oral surgeon are light years better than dentists I have had in the past.

The two implants I received yesterday were so easily done, I never felt anything except the slight pinch of the needle entering my arm to administer the anesthesia. It seemed like I was in the chair about 10 seconds and I was done! Plus, today, no soreness, no bleeding, and all I have to do is take the antibiotics and mouth rinse for a few days. The only thing different is my bank balance took a hard hit.

 

[W2R]

What I found this year is my newly chosen dentist and oral surgeon are light years better than dentists I have had in the past.

The two implants I received yesterday were so easily done, I never felt anything except the slight pinch of the needle entering my arm to administer the anesthesia. It seemed like I was in the chair about 10 seconds and I was done! Plus, today, no soreness, no bleeding, and all I have to do is take the antibiotics and mouth rinse for a few days. The only thing different is my bank balance took a hard hit.

So glad to hear it went that well, Aja8888!!! That's amazing. No soreness or bleeding is fabulous. Sounds like you chose a really good oral surgeon.

 

[Bamaman]

Got my two implants this morning. Bill was a shade over $4600. That was after a 10% senior's discount (had to ask for it - I'm not shy).

I assume the crowns will be around $3K total in about 3 months from now.

I just paid $900 for an implant. I expect the abutment will be $150-200. Our local dentists charge $850 for crowns each.

I found a dentist doing crowns in one sitting. They take a scan of surrounding teeth and fed it into a laptop. Then a tabletop CNC machine carves the tooth in porcelain in 6 minutes. With 1 minute making an adjustment, it is glued in place. Total time in the office 1 hour and $750 in cost. The dentist doesn't have to spend so much time as doing crowns the old way.

For simple single implants, many dentists and oral surgeons are taking advantage of patients' pocketbooks. Liked I said earlier, it only took maybe 7 minutes to install my implant. I can see where 4 implants and plates is much more technical and time consuming. But not $20k time consuming.