Good Lord, I would hope they aren’t requiring people to get gold crowns. How about some mouth bling? 
I don’t think any insurance would pay 100% for a crown. I believe the rep said that the copay is $150-$500, so I always assume it’s the high number.
My dentist takes Delta Dental, which is my former employer’s plan, but not the HMO part. He says the dentist participants are typically not very good and will try to sell procedures to make money. The reimbursement levels are way too low. (This is much like the vision plan former employer uses - poor providers who have to cycle a lot of patients through & very quickly in order to earn a profit.)
I have one molar with silver fillings. Dentist convinced me to hold off replacing until it really has to be done because he doesn’t want to break the tooth and have me pay immediately for a crown, which is what will happen if he goes in. I’ll have to pay for the whole thing as there’s no retiree dental coverage, but that could be years.
A good dentist is really, really hard to find and is probably not part of the HMO.
Dental expenses are turning out to be one of my highest cost items in retirement. Then again, I have terrible teeth.
HMO or not is a dental insurance useful? They seemed to cover small items but not big ones. My insurance covers routine cleaning but not implants.
My sister is a hygienist and has a terrible opinion of the national dental chains including Delta Dental. She interrviewd at one years ago and it was all just about upselling and adding services. We did go once (I think it was Delta) about my DD’s wisdom teeth and it was scary; they said they would just schedule it outpatient with their traveling dental surgeon, in the office…it was just scary.
I think in these days of increased competition, upcharging is becoming more common even at traditional practices. Our old longtime dentist changed ownership and within the months they were finding more and more cavities…we went somewhere else and NONE of the three needed filled. So yes, second opinion. Also, we used to be on a plan called Signature Dental, we paid $9.99 a month and then used network dentists at a discounted rate. It was more a discount plan and not an insurance plan. You could look into that. But that was the upselling dentist. We now go to an independent dentist with 3 offices in town and they have their own “plan”…$200 a year for two cleanings, 1 xray, flouride treatments and a discount on services. So you may want to see if some dentists have their own plan.
I appreciate that my dentist doesn’t push things we don’t need.
@busdriver11 porcelain crowns are usually more expensive. If you are going to be able to see them get porcelain if they are way in the back my H has gone with gold.
When my D moved to a new city she went to a dentist our local dentist had recommended. He told my D she had great teeth and if she ever went to a dentist who recommended a lot of work to run and find someone else. He did tell her that having great teeth doesn’t make one immune to gum disease and she should stay on top of her gum health.
My younger D is getting married next year and she is checking out what Health plans her future H is enrolled in. I told her to make sure he goes with the dental PPO.
I have a couple of friends who are dentists. I think the conventional wisdom is that dental insurance you purchase yourself (as opposed to an employer benefit) is usually not worth it. I have also been told to stay away from the chain dentist companies. I suppose they would be fine for a hygiene appointment, but there is a real difference in the labs they use for any work, and I really don’t like the idea of getting whichever dentist is on rotation when I am in.
I have just recently gotten 2 crowns. Both were in back molars where I had large cavities, one tooth had already cracked and been fixed, so I do think those crowns were warranted. I trust my dentists - I guess I am lucky I have never had one suggest lots of work right off the bat.
I belong to a dental HMO through my job. I have been very happy with it. I don’t really get a hard sell. As for your son @busdriver11, when I was first starting out and living in Manhattan, I wasn’t eligible for dental insurance for 3 years after starting my job. I got my dental care at the NYU Dental School clinic, which even had 9 PM appointments a couple of nights a week. The cost was very reasonable and all of the work was supervised by the professors. I had a root canal done and it was done by a 4th year overseen by a professor. If they still offer this service, it might be worth looking into.
Amalgam fillings can last a long time, sometimes much longer than the usual 10-15 year estimate. Since replacing a filling means drilling out more of the tooth, that should only be done if the filling fails.
Good that your dentist has a conservative view on replacing fillings, unlike some who use amalgam mercury paranoia to sell replacement with white fillings, which also do not last as long on chewing surfaces of molars and therefore need replacing more often, leading to greater likelihood of eventually needing a crown.
Dental insurance is mainly a way of employers to offer routine dental care as a benefit. Coverage is basically the opposite of what other kinds of insurance usually covers – coverage for routine small stuff, but not for big things.
I disagree with that. Employer dental coverage I’ve had has always been good. Covered most everything at 80%, including the big things. And I’ve had far too many big things, I’m surprised I don’t max out.
Guess it depends on what “big” is. Employer dental insurance that I have seen has often had yearly limits of $1,000 to $2,000.
Exactly. Most just pay 50% of major work (e.g., crowns), but bd’s 80% is really sweet.
I’ve had a dental HMO before and they’re more trouble than they’re worth. What you end up with is a third-rate dentist that ALWAYS tells you that you have cavities. Here’s the thing. If he doesn’t have tooth problems or any pain, why the heck would he suddenly need a crown? That sounds unethical to me.
Well, sometimes the unexpected does come up. This sounds like a new cavity under an old filling. They are supposedly sending the X-rays for a second opinion, but haven’t seen them yet. Will stay away from the HMO for sure!
Depends on the tooth. I have a back molar with a 30+ year old filling. I have had no problems, and no pain. Yet, I have no doubt that it is leaking underneath. Someday the tooth may crack since the molar is mostly amalgam (3 surfaces), and must be flexing incessantly with chewing.
Dentist has been watching it for several years, but says that a replacement filling is not a good idea; it will require a crown. And better to do it before it cracks below the gum line.
Nice, a 30+ year old filling. My dentist also watches things, but doesn’t wait too long. After ending up with an implant once, I don’t want to wait too terribly long either.
Dentist has wanted to replace it for years but I just tell him that it doesn’t hurt, so ‘wait until next year’. But, since I have been (involuntarily) retired, time to use up the dental insurance. 
I have some >30 year old amalgam fillings that have no issues. But they are one surface (chewing surface on molars).
One thing is for certain, DHMOs are under pressure to sell you dental work. The model doesn’t work without selling the extras, similar to ultra low cost airlines.