Dental Insurance Disscusion

Former_MSE_Wendy
Former_MSE_Wendy Posts: 929
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edited 15 June 2010 at 10:55AM in Insurance & life assurance
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Dental Insurance Cost Cutting Plan Article

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  • mussgo
    mussgo Posts: 139 Forumite
    I dont know where those figures came from but as I am paying over £25 a month, that makes over £300. With just three check ups a year for the past two years this is not money well spent!

    Considering I one of those times I had to wait best part of an hour to be seen I was not best pleased!
  • If you knew that you need some work done .. maybe a new crown but could wait a few months before getting the work done ?

    thanks.
  • cazmeg
    cazmeg Posts: 183
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    Has anyone got any recommendations for family dental insurance cover?
  • Toothsmith
    Toothsmith Posts: 10,072
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    I know that 'Money' is really Martin's job, but this article concentrates a little bit to much on that one aspect.

    The REAL way to 'Slash' the cost of your dental care is to look after your teeth.

    It's not rocket science.

    Sugar, eaten too frequently (a tiny amount several times a day does more damage that a box of Mars Bars eaten all at once once a week!) will rot teeth. Plaque, allowed to build up on teeth surfaces will give you gum disease.

    So, sensible diet, good oral hygine and regular visits to a good preventative dentist and hygienist will - over the long term, keep your dental bills to a minimum.

    Putting £20 into a bank account, and only looking for a dentist when you feel something has gone wrong is the fast bus to dentures.

    Plus - if you try self insuring and have an accident, you could well find yourself thousands of pounds short (The last accident case I did was a 52yr old lady who slipped on her own doorstep and her insurance claim - paid by her Denplan Policy with no quibbles - was £4575) It's not just rugby players who have dental accidents - in fact, I don't think I've treated a rugby injury in over 10 years - they all are sensible enough to wear dentist-made gum shields!

    Going abroad is fraught with dangers - and still means that you've let yourself get into a right state in the first place.

    Insurance policies are great, but watch the 'maximums'. Check that you will have cover enough to go to your chosen dentist a couple of times a year, see the hygienist 2-3 times a year.

    But the big thing is to find a decent dentist and to go regularly and to listen to and act on the advice you are given.

    Find a dentist when things feel fine - not when you are screaming in agony and have a face like a football.

    If you only ever make 'distress purchases' of dentistry (ie only go when you have a problem) you will be at the mercy of the first dentist with a space in his appointment book. The chances of that being the best/most reasonabley priced/most caring dentist in the area are probably slim.

    There are not enough dentists in this country to cater for everybody.

    As more and more dentists go private, they see less and less people.

    There are enough people in the country who value decent dentistry and care enough about their teeth to keep the decent dentists busy. (We need less than half the population).

    If you want a decent dentist, then get looking and find them. Get on their books and go regularly.

    Do not accept dentists who rush, dentists who aren't up front with their fees, dentists who don't explain things properly, dentists who accept you as 'NHS' patients but then tell you that most things can only be done privately. Look for nice clean practices, well maintained waiting areas and friendly efficient staff.

    When you find such places, register there and go regularly.

    THAT is the way to slash you lifetime dental bills.


    Oh - and avoid invasive 'cosmetic' dentistry. It all looks good on the 'after' shots on '10 Years Younger' but they never seem to explain that all that expensive dentistry will cost thousands in maintenance costs over the rest of that patients lifetime.

    If your teeth are good, then leave them alone. if they're a bit squiffy then so what?? Do we all want to look like Americans? Nothing wrong with a bit of whitening (If done professionally by a qualified dentist). Or even the odd bit of white filling bonded on to close a gap or two, but do not let anybody near them wth a drill just to make them look better
    How to find a dentist.
    1. Get recommendations from friends/family/neighbours/etc.
    2. Once you have a short-list, VISIT the practices - dont just phone. Go on the pretext of getting a Practice Leaflet.
    3. Assess the helpfulness of the staff and the level of the facilities.
    4. Only book initial appointment when you find a place you are happy with.
  • Excellent advice from Toothsmith; when I visit my dentist she is always encouraging me to have work done - none of it is essential but more of a cosmetic nature. Yes my teeth would look better with work done on them but at a cost of several hundreds of pounds per tooth!. I need my teeth fixed when they are "broke" otherwise leave them alone.

    With less people going to the dentist then I feel that those that do go are being "conned" to have non essential costly treatment. I'm now strongly considering looking for an alternative dentist.
  • pinkpong
    pinkpong Posts: 247 Forumite
    I was forced to go privat as having 4 dentist within 2years, they were all C**p!. I have no problem with teeth but my daughter has. They messed her up for somany months , puting fillings were they should not. She ended up on antibiotics for 3 month before I got P****d off. I took her to a dentist hosp., where they simply pulled her bad tooth out . They were just simply afraid to pull it out. What dentists hey. She was 9 then, Could not find a decent dentist. As you only have one set of teeth I think it`s worth paying. I have HSA Just me and my 3kids. I can claim up to £70 each, which I do every year. I have been very please with that, claim is very fast. I claim £70 for their glasses too, which I would have not bought for them if I didn`t have the insurance. My hubby haven`t had dentist check up for 40 years. But last year had his tooth pulled out and a treatmet came to about £90 which is not bad for 40 years.
  • Toothsmith
    Toothsmith Posts: 10,072
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    One thing I missed - DON'T SMOKE.

    If you do, then practically any money you spend on your teeth is money down the drain. They will fall out anyway.
    How to find a dentist.
    1. Get recommendations from friends/family/neighbours/etc.
    2. Once you have a short-list, VISIT the practices - dont just phone. Go on the pretext of getting a Practice Leaflet.
    3. Assess the helpfulness of the staff and the level of the facilities.
    4. Only book initial appointment when you find a place you are happy with.
  • Hello Toothsmith, I have just spent some time reading through all the posts, and all the articles, and getting quotes from the various insurers, and I am confused.

    What we are looking for is this:
    We are a couple, late 50s, looking for Dental Cover, to go towards the high prices of Private Treatment (we have a dentist).

    Boots, Tesco, HSA, and so on. Which should I select please...
  • Toothsmith
    Toothsmith Posts: 10,072
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    I don't know enough about the differences in cover I'm afraid.

    I fix teeth. Your own dentist is best placed to know your likely treatment needs, and so he/she could suggest a sensible amount of cover that you're likely to need. You can then select the policy based on that.

    Denists aren't financial advisors, so technically, we shouldn't really give advice on insurance products at all. (Unless we get a - very expensive- consumer credit license). Things like Denplan are capitation products, technically not insurance, so we are OK to recommend things like that, but the Tesco, Boots, HSA etc products ARE insurance, so we can't really comment.
    How to find a dentist.
    1. Get recommendations from friends/family/neighbours/etc.
    2. Once you have a short-list, VISIT the practices - dont just phone. Go on the pretext of getting a Practice Leaflet.
    3. Assess the helpfulness of the staff and the level of the facilities.
    4. Only book initial appointment when you find a place you are happy with.
  • Hi all

    I was wondering if anyone knew if it was possible to get dental insurance which would cover me for already existing problems.

    I've been told I need root canal and crowns which will cost upwards of £500!!

    Most websites I have looked at do not provide cover for pre-existing conditions.

    Any help would be gratrefully recieved.

    Thanks
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