Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with insurance and teeth

Is there a dentist in the house?

allen8219 — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 11:53:49 -0800

Can you please recommend a dentist in Washington DC? I am almost certainly going to need a couple fillings, or maybe root canals, so I want to make sure I've got the right dentist for the job! I have really neglected my teeth for the past two years, for a variety of reasons (psychological, financial, idiotic), and it has finally caught up with me. I am getting twinges of pain from two back molars, and I know that I had some decay there like two years ago... so I am afraid of what's actually going on with them.

Anyway, the good news is I have a job, and dental insurance. The insurance is CareFirst Blue Cross Blue Shield, and will pay $1000 toward the bill, so if possible I would definitely like to take advantage of that.

Ugh. There is really nothing better for making you feel like a moron, than facing thousands of dollars in dental bills because you can't get it together enough to brush your teeth.

Thanks very much in advance, I really appreciate it.

Importance, and cost, of braces for an adult?

Anonymous — Sat, 23 Jun 2007 07:07:02 -0800

How important is it for me to get braces as an adult? If it's critical, how much would they cost, and how could I afford them? As a kid I was told I needed braces, but it was completely out of the question for us financially (this was transient/subsistence living). Now I'm in my 20s, still struggling a lot financially but wondering again how critical it is to get braces. I don't care about any cosmetic aspect, only about whether braces are needed to help my teeth last a long time. (I'm hoping to live at least 60 more years.)

Here's a pic of me showing as much of my teeth as I can. If you have an opinion about the pic please express yourself in factual terms (like "You have problems X and Y," rather than "Yuck, that looks bad").

Clearly my teeth have some crowding, but they're not crowded enough to interfere with flossing, which I know is a big factor in tooth longevity. The top teeth overlap, resting slightly more forward than the bottom teeth. (Also, I don't know if this affects braces, but in the middle of the lower teeth, you might see I have one artificial tooth, which I've had since childhood; it never developed correctly so they filed down the real tooth to a narrow pillar and put the cap over it.)

If I need braces, is there such a thing anywhere as low-cost braces for low-income patients? Is there such a thing as dental insurance I could get that would cover braces? (I assume not, since "a need for braces" is practically the definition of pre-existing condition.) Currently I don't have dental or medical insurance. I exceed Medicaid qualifiying income but not by much.

Can HIPAA help me appeal a Dental Claim denial?

eisbaer — Wed, 31 May 2006 14:13:19 -0800

What is the best approach for appealing a dental insurance claim that was denied for a pre-existing condition when I have had continuous coverage? Does HIPAA apply? My employer changes Dental Insurance companies almost every year. When I was first hired 4 years ago, I had an extraction under a different insurance company. After 4 years of dental work, I finally got a bridge spanning the extraction.

My current insurance company denied the claim for the bridge because they were not my insurance company when the extraction took place. Can they do this if I have had continuous dental coverage?

I have no control over the "musical dental plans" game that my employer plays. Do I have any recourse? Do the recent HIPAA changes deal with this circumstance?

Wisdom teeth coming out. Can I save money by getting dental insurance?

sdis — Tue, 11 Apr 2006 22:35:42 -0800

So I need my wisdom teeth out, asap, and I've been quoted $1500. Can I save money by getting dental insurance? By ASAP, I mean that my appointment with this surgeon I've been referred to is in 2 weeks (he's all booked up), and I can try and call every day for a cancellation, and that I can't wait much longer than 2 weeks.

Followup question, when is it worth getting dental insurance?

Followup #2: I'm not getting mauled by this dentist, am I? $300 for nitrous, $300/tooth?

How can I find a dentist for my boyfriend who has no insurance and is terrified of dentists?

agregoli — Mon, 15 Nov 2004 09:26:14 -0800

My boyfriend needs to go to the dentist. He recently chipped a tooth, and hasn't been in ages. The problem is two-fold: One, he's TERRIFIED of going, especially because of his long time away from the dentist, and because of deep-rooted fear of the dentist and two, he has no dental insurance. He's agreed to go if I can find a dentist that will accept him without insurance and I go with him to hold his hand. How do I find a dentist that will see him without insurance and will be accomodating to his fears? 1-800-dentist seems secretive at how they arrive at their recommendations.

Dental Insurance

badstone — Mon, 26 Jul 2004 10:48:19 -0800

I'm looking for advice on dental insurance. My girlfriend's employer does not provide it and she generally doesn't need it because she has magic cavity-preventing saliva. seriously, she's never had a cavity, never goes to the dentist! But now, she can feel one of her wisdom teeth starting to act up and probably needs an extraction. (others should probably be extracted while she's at it.) Should she go with bargain insurance (and can anyone recommend a good dental insurance company), or should she just get the work done without insurance and pay it back over time? If it makes a difference, we're in the Bay Area.

Extracting Wisdom

aladfar — Mon, 07 Jun 2004 14:26:38 -0800

Extracting Wisdom: I've been putting it dodging it for years, but it's looking (and feeling) like I'm going to have to get my wisdom teeth pulled. I do have insurance, but I have to go to a specific provider - a provider I've never actually been to before. Any advice on questions I should ask or things I should look for? Is one oral surgeon as good as another or should I shop around and/or pay extra if needed?

Self-employed, needs advice about dental insurance

gottabefunky — Mon, 26 Apr 2004 15:34:04 -0800

Anyone (in the US) have any suggestions/war stories for dental insurance? Self-employed now, gotta shell it out. And, um, what exactly constitutes a previously existing condition in your experience?