Q.: I have right now a dental plan from my Union. This plan does not cover enough. For example, my wife needs wisdom teeth removed. It has gotten so far as the wisdom tooth coming in and pushing on the roots of the tooth next to it. That then killed the nerve on the other tooth! The dentist we went to asked for $640 upfront for the cost of extractions of wisdom teeth, with the total of $1500.
What supplemental dental plans do you have that would help defray this cost? Also, I need to make sure my four girls are taken care of. It used to be you paid $10-$15 for ANY filling. These days, it goes by categories! You can expect a different price for a filling if just the enamel is affected, a higher price if the second tooth layer is affected, and even higher price if the third layer is affected! We as a family are really having a hard time right now. The Union job I held was going slow and I am not getting back to work until January. Also, I would like to go to a dentist that will set me up with a dental payment plan; all dentists we went to wanted all cash payment upfront and wouldn't set up a payment plan! Fortunately, the wife is not in pain right at this moment. She could however see a dentist any time, really.
T. T., Section, Alabama
A.: Dear T. T., The times have changed, haven't they? Everything seems more expensive than it used to be and more complicated. Cost of filling classified by 3 categories, incredible! And dentists prefer to see cash on hand when they would be happy with just extending a payment plan as little as a year ago. Times have changed. What has not changed much is that there are plans out there, called discount dental plans that can help you lower your cost dramatically. They will save you on any procedure that a dentist or dental specialist such as oral surgeon, is licensed to do. Depending on type of extraction, the wisdom teeth are usually extracted by oral surgeons. As far as a payment plan, you could get one through Care Credit but they will want to see you haveing a good credit rating. Also, as the wisdom teeth can flare up anytime, you want a plan that has no waiting periods. A plan with high annual maximum would suit you as well. You are probably close to your annual limit just for your wife's extractions. I'll include a site with more information on a few plans with no waiting periods and high or no annual maximums.
--Dental Cool
Resources
http://dentalservice4less.com
http://myDentalPlans.info
http://CareCredit.com