A rant about dental insurance

[Jelpy]

I'll have to check into the met life thing. I'm a federal employee with dental coverage in my regular insurance plus supplemental dental insurance, and from I can tell, it STILL appears like the insurance companies idea of helping out with the bill is to give the dentist a slap on the back and a hardy "Well Done." Fortunately, my local dentists are very good about allowing me to make payments, as long as I pay them every month.

Jelpy

[Pattycakes]

I'm a federal employee and I also have Metlife Dental. I've never had a problem with it...but then I've been lucky...have just used it for my cleanings.

But my boyfriend has it as well....and he has had to use it. This past year he has had a lot of work done...special cleanings and a crown replacement. I know he's very happy with it and the coverage he has received.

[Liesje]

I have pretty good dental but what bugs me is that we even have to HAVE dental insurance. Why have separate insurance for your mouth than the rest of your body?! The nice thing is that ours covers two cleanings a year for free, but I need some serious work done and can't afford it, maybe not even able to start for another year. Just the initial diagnostics are going to cost me about $600 after the insurance covers its part.

[Cassidy's Mom]

I just wish I had dental insurance to complain about!

[Liesje]

My bite is so bad genetically I nearly got my own policy during college but then luckily my job offered one. If I didn't get it through work I'd definitely still get it on my own.

[arycrest]

Originally Posted by Liesje

I have pretty good dental but what bugs me is that we even have to HAVE dental insurance. Why have separate insurance for your mouth than the rest of your body?! The nice thing is that ours covers two cleanings a year for free, but I need some serious work done and can't afford it, maybe not even able to start for another year. Just the initial diagnostics are going to cost me about $600 after the insurance covers its part.

I've often wondered why dentists/teeth/mouths are treated as separate parts of the body by medical schools ... why are dental issues considered a separate body issue requiring separate insurance, special schools and instruction (I'm not saying that they don't need specialist training like many other fields of medicine, but asking why the the mouth is separated from the rest of the body by the medical establishment).

[stealthq]

Originally Posted by arycrest

I've often wondered why dentists/teeth/mouths are treated as separate parts of the body by medical schools ... why are dental issues considered a separate body issue requiring separate insurance, special schools and instruction (I'm not saying that they don't need specialist training like many other fields of medicine, but asking why the the mouth is separated from the rest of the body by the medical establishment).

OMG, can you imagine how much we'd be paying if dentists had to satisfy medical school requirements as well as all the dentistry school requirements? It'd be like going to a neurosurgeon twice a year!

[TheActuary]

Originally Posted by arycrest

I've often wondered why dentists/teeth/mouths are treated as separate parts of the body by medical schools ... why are dental issues considered a separate body issue requiring separate insurance, special schools and instruction (I'm not saying that they don't need specialist training like many other fields of medicine, but asking why the the mouth is separated from the rest of the body by the medical establishment).

Because they are very different things. I want my dentist to specialize in the treatment of teeth. And I don't want my doctor wasting his time/brain power learning about teeth and how to fill cavities. Why should a dentist need to study the entire body and vice versa?

I feel like dentistry is more of a craft (albeit one that requires much training)... not really similar to medicine.