Is dental insurance worth it? Here are my thoughts. Over the years I’ve had several different dental insurance plans through various employers. I’ve also had a supplemental dental policy through AFLAC. Here is what I’ve discovered.

If you work for an employer that offers dental insurance for $10 or $15 bucks a pay period and you are having dental issues, I would probably go ahead and take the insurance. If you don’t work for an employer that offers dental insurance, I would not go out and purchase a plan on your own because you are having major dental issues. Here is why:

Most dental insurance plans cover a high percentage of preventative care like x-rays, cleanings, and maybe tooth fillings. The goal is to help catch issues early to prevent more expensive treatments later on.

For major procedures like extractions, root canals and crowns, insurance could significantly offset the cost, but you will still leave the office paying a good amount out of pocket.

For dentures, partials, implants, or any other major restorative work, there is usually a waiting period, they will only cover 50% of the cost, and there is a max amount covered each year.

For instance, your specific plan may have a max yearly coverage of $1,500 (that includes everything). Once you reach that $1,500, it pays nothing until the following year.

Here is Dave Ramsey’s take on dental insurance.

https://www.ramseysolutions.com/insurance/dental-insurance?srsltid=AfmBOoof572SZ4eP7Ad3Wy-sB_5bWDViGuz0tCT-8qBA6OxEyBpfx27p#cookie-banner