I had to pay a $50 deductible for my cleaning this month, since it's a new year. But my dental insurance costs $100+ a month! It got me doing the math and I realized... I'm paying over $1k a year, and only getting two cleanings (every six months) that cost me ~$200 each.
I haven't had a cavity since I was in elementary school, and have been brushing and flossing like crazy lately. Should I just cancel my dental insurance and pay cash for my cleanings?
blogger / wonderful cherry / 21628 posts
Maybe so! How much is a cleaning? I wouldn't be able to cancel mine because I've had 2 cavities. And I don't pay anything out of pocket for cleanings.
Eta: oh I see you said your cleanings would be around $200. If probably cancel it.
GOLD / pineapple / 12662 posts
@mrbee: Are there other benefits of the coverage of which you aren't taking advantage, say, does your coverage provide for things like sealants (on your molars)? Maybe there are additional benefits that would make the coverage more useful?
blogger / coconut / 8306 posts
@mrbee: what about IF you had a cavity?
I have no idea what we pay per month for dental, but I got my first cavity last year & was very grateful to have had insurance!
pomegranate / 3809 posts
Holy crap, that is expensive, for both! Our dental insurance doesn't cost us anything, and a cleaning is fully covered. I'd probably cancel it and just pay for the cleaning in your case.
bananas / 9899 posts
I would do some more math and see if it makes more sense to keep paying the insurance or just pay for a dental problem if it comes up.
watermelon / 14206 posts
Soynds like it's not worth it. Is your insurance for your whole family?
papaya / 10343 posts
…. why DO you have dental insurance?? 100+/mo seems really high for dental. I have it because it is cheap and I get 2 cleanings/year for $0 copay. But I had a bunch of cavities last year (due to the fact that it was the first time I had dental insurance in several years and I had failed at being a grown up and going to the dentist while uninsured) and even the out of pocket cost I think would've been similar to your monthly rates!
coffee bean / 36 posts
We recently got rid of our dental insurance for the same reason (self-employed with no group plan). Maybe look at how much your annual max is for the year? If it's close to the amount you're paying in premiums and copays anyway then it may not payoff.
honeydew / 7586 posts
@mrbee: Have you looked into a dental discount plan like Careington 500? https://www1.careington.com/
kiwi / 548 posts
I think the maximum coverage is only around 1k anyway for the best plans, so doesn't seem like it makes sense! Everyone I know who needed a crown and bridge in the same year had to come out of pocket big time even with insurance!
eggplant / 11824 posts
I wouldn't cancel, that's just begging the universe to hit you with some weird dental disease/injury that would have been covered by insurance!
grapefruit / 4089 posts
I'd consider cancelling and putting a good chunk of that thousand dollars away in a separate account each year, in case something happens where you do need a more expensive treatment. When the account balance starts getting higher than it needs to, funnel it elsewhere 
honeydew / 7303 posts
I'd cancel it! Our dental insurance is only 12.00 a month through dhs work!
GOLD / wonderful apricot / 22276 posts
We pay $16/month and then $50 as a copay once a year. So way less than what you pay and this is for both DH and I.
honeydew / 7811 posts
I'd look for a better plan! My sister works in insurance and says most dental insurance is pretty terrible. However I'm surprised you have to pay for cleanings! 2 cleanings per year on our insurance are free, and our dental plan isn't that great!
honeydew / 7589 posts
Maybe cancel and put the money you were paying into a savings account set aside for a potential dental emergency down the road? At least you'd earn interest on it.
pineapple / 12053 posts
i would cancel. i just put the money away for our cleanings and xrays. that's a lot and you're not getting anything out of it!
GOLD / squash / 13464 posts
Do you get X-rays? Do you have your wisdom teeth out? It would suck to need to get your wisdom teeth out and not have insurance.
coconut / 8430 posts
That sounds terrible.
If you think you can do an honest assessment AND can afford to self-insure (e.g. pay out of pocket for anything you need done), then perhaps you should cancel! Or maybe its just time to shop for a new plan.
Consider any effects from not having continuous insurance if/when you want to sign up again.
hostess / papaya / 10540 posts
That seems high. I'd cancel, but only if I had the option to sign up down the road if I felt like I needed it. We don't have dental insurance, and one positive is that we pay slightly less because we make cash payments.
Another thought, does the $100/month include all four of you?
squash / 13208 posts
I would ask what the cleaning would cost if you paid cash - most dentists would offer a discounted rate.
That is so expensive!! Here dental is cheap and 2 cleanings per year are free - so are xrays!
wonderful pear / 26210 posts
@yoursilverlining: agreed.
Dental insurance isn't really for cleanings, it's for situations when you get a tooth knocked out and need it replaced.
If you feel you can just pay out of pocket for cleanings, do that, but def. keep it for the kids!
eggplant / 11716 posts
I would keep it but look for something cheaper. I've always had perfect teeth (I mean, no cavities or issues) but I know *know* if I were to cancel I'd suddenly need a root canal or something that would cost 10,000 dollars.
My mother just recently needed a root canal, had a FAILED root canal, then had to go back for a second root canal, and needs a fake tooth implant and all kinds of things (stemming from the same issue), The whole thing would have cost something like $10,000 without insurance. That's painful.
| Today | Monthly Record | |
|---|---|---|
| Topics | 0 | 1 |
| Posts | 1 | 0 |
Ask for Help
Make a Suggestion
Frequently Asked Questions
Bee Levels
Acronyms
Most Viewed Posts
Hellobee Gold
Hellobee Recipes
Hellobee Features
Hellobee Contests
Baby-led Weaning
Bento Boxes
Breastfeeding
Newborn Essentials
Parties
Postpartum Care Essentials
Sensory Play Activities
Sleep Training
Starting Solids Gear
Transitioning to Toddler Bed
All Series
Who We Are
About the Bloggers
About the Hostesses
Contributing Bloggers
Apply to Blog
Apply to Hostess
Submit a Guest Blog
Hellobee Buttons
How We Make Money
Community Policies
- Google Plus
- Stumbleupon
- Twitter
- Facebook
- Pinterest
- Favorite0
25 comments