Community Chat

[dobiesrule]

Ford, when you posted this info the first time, I looked into it. I needed a new dentist as I was not happy with the one I had, and lucky for me, the one I was thinking about going to was on the list. So glad you told us about this.

[cuddlesmama]

Thank you so much ladies. You have given me a lot of options. Much appreciated!!

[LilacTree]

On 1/26/2015 dobiesrule said: Ford, when you posted this info the first time, I looked into it. I needed a new dentist as I was not happy with the one I had, and lucky for me, the one I was thinking about going to was on the list. So glad you told us about this.

Oh, I'm so glad that at least one person took my advice. No one seemed to take it seriously on that thread, so I gave up on it. I hope you are happy with the work done and the fees you saved.

This is real, folks, this exists.

[lulu2]

I am a retired teacher. I was able to join an Aetna group that covers $1500. (when I was teaching, our policy covered only $1000) Unfortunately $1500 doesn't go far, here it's basically a crown.

There are a lot of (large) dental groups springing up all over the place. Many have signs advertising family plans. We were discussing it at the hairdresser and it seems, this is what many families are now choosing as opposed to insurance.

My husband and I are both in the process of having dental implants. (in his case 3) They are expensive and our insurance pays for the extraction only. I checked the discount plans and there are no private practices (only large clinic type practices) in our area. At this point in our lives we've established long time relationships with out dentist, periodontist and oral surgeon.

As for eye care, our medical insurance covers an annual exam and any eye related medical problems. Our policies have never paid for eyeglasses.

[ivey]

A little off topic--but I don't have dental insurance. I could have bought it through a professional association, but it didn't cover all that much so I took my chances and have had to pay out of pocket.

My dentist of 20+ years retired and I cannot stand the dentist who took his place. (He's just been out of school maybe 2 years.) He just creeps me out--but the "crowning" blow was that he said I needed an implant on a tooth that has been troublesome for years. That tooth has had 2 apicocetomies, 2 root canals, and 2 crowns. I know--just pull the dang thing.

Well, I disagreed about the implant and went to the oral surgeon who had done the extensive work before. He xrayed 3d, etc. and said there was absolutely nothing that he thought would require an implant!

I'm looking for a new dentist. His office finds something every time I go in to run the bill up a couple of hundred dollars. I think retirees have to be vigilant to keep from being ripped off. When we retired, we still have our wits about us.

[151949]

On 1/26/2015 ivey said:

A little off topic--but I don't have dental insurance. I could have bought it through a professional association, but it didn't cover all that much so I took my chances and have had to pay out of pocket.

My dentist of 20+ years retired and I cannot stand the dentist who took his place. (He's just been out of school maybe 2 years.) He just creeps me out--but the "crowning" blow was that he said I needed an implant on a tooth that has been troublesome for years. That tooth has had 2 apicocetomies, 2 root canals, and 2 crowns. I know--just pull the dang thing.

Well, I disagreed about the implant and went to the oral surgeon who had done the extensive work before. He xrayed 3d, etc. and said there was absolutely nothing that he thought would require an implant!

I'm looking for a new dentist. His office finds something every time I go in to run the bill up a couple of hundred dollars. I think retirees have to be vigilant to keep from being ripped off. When we retired, we still have our wits about us.

there is no doubt in my mind that these days dentists are the biggest rip off artists around. When you find a good one you can trust you keep them until one of you dies.

[RedTop]

When I retired 2 years ago, I opted for COBRA coverage of my dental and vision for 18 months. At the end of that time, I was given the option to continue my employer coverage at a higher rate, but chose not to, because of the fact my employer had changed providers for both, within a month of my retirement. I was not notified of the provider change until the new company sent a letter saying I was no longer covered. Because it was my former employers fault, I was reinstated, but wanted to get away from that connection and make my own arrangements. I dropped my vision coverage, because my issue right now is growing cataracts, which is covered by my medical insurance. I also dropped my employer dental coverage and purchased coverage thru Delta Dental, for less than $30 a month.