Dental Assistance

Costco Executive members have access to a low cost dental plan usually thru Delta Dental.

My experience is that private dental plans have poor coverage due to high deductibles.

Are you 65 or more? Our Medicare supplement insurance...Blue Shield...has a good one for a modest premium. The charges for three cleanings and X-ray for each of us each year just about equal the premium.

Most insurance companies want you to pay your fair share, before they pay anything major, so there is usually a 6 month waiting period for major work

My suggestion would be to find a DDS you are happy with, and talk to him ( her ) directly about a cash discount.

With what’s happening in the country right now, I am pretty sure you will find most any dentist will be willing to work out a substantial cash discount

Usually with dental insurance, one can self insure and at least break even but mostly be money ahead. You can expect the premiums to be around $30 to $60 monthly or more, and except for routine cleanings, have high deductibles and low limits for specific procedures. Shop around, understand exactly what it pays and how much; then, decide if just setting the money aside yourself and elf-insuring is not a better option.

We use Care Credit. It was recommended by our dentist. It's not really insurance. It just allows you to pay the dentist up front and then pay installments to CareCredit.com.

Kountryguy, why is Mexico off for now?

We are in Florida for some time taking care of a family matter. Looking like we will be here for a while.

I recently went through the need to learn about dental insurance and am happy to share what I learned.
Delta Dental offers numerous plan types, and not all Delta Dental providers accept all the different plans. The one that is best for patients is worst for the dentist, therefore the only dentists that accept that particular plan may provide so-so treatment if you are particular. But you may get 'lucky' and find an office where everyone cares more about dental care than the mighty dollars.
The plan I was going to sign us up for had no waiting period, no annual maximum, no deductible and was around $200 annually for both of us. BUT when I visited the offices within the area (its based on your zip code) I would not want to get dental treatment at any of them. I called a relative who retired from 60 years as a practicing single office and he explained it to me.
Also learned that many of those dental offices 'share' equipment and specialists which is not a good thing.

The dentist I unfortunately went to initially (car accident broke 4 teeth) did such bad work that one year later I've had to have all work redone and pay out of pocket. Hard lesson, hope this helps someone who reads this.

Sorry to hear that, Kountryguy. The reason I asked was you can still get dental done in Algodones.