This may sound ignorant, but why do we have separate insurance for our mouths and eyes? Aren’t they apart of the body? Why is it not just general medical insurance?
Why is dental and eye insurance separate? “The reason dental is separate from medical is that the nature of the risk is fundamentally different as is the deferability of the care,” says Dr. Adam C. Powell, president of Payer+Provider Syndicate. This is googles anwser but I think it has to do with just simply milking all the money insurance companys can get from people that need basic care.
@@ThePragmaticPowerRanger Good one, Sippinonpiss. Owned the libs there. Question though… what kind of own did you really think this was? I know for myself that I don’t give two fcks what Fauci has to say. Why would we ask him for comprehensive explanations on the complexities of health insurance in the first place?
I love how everyone at work tells me how good our dental is and I still have to pay $5-$600 per visit after the insurance ‘pays’. And then the insurance can change their mind and not pay anything. American healthcare is completely broken, and if you say it’s not it means you haven’t been bankrupted yet
American Healthcare is working exactly as it is intended. It is designed to extract money from patients. The system is primarily about making money, with your care being secondary.
"People are unaware how to access the access." This is why young people hate this entire system. Why is it this hard? Why do taxes have to be so hard? Why is this entire system a giant clusterfuck that we have to go completely out of our way to receive even basic human care. I take care of myself but it is not easy with all these procedural oddities.
I gave up on dental/eye insurance plans a long time ago. They are only worth it if your employer pays most of the premiums and they offer you a really good plan otherwise it's worthless. I'm self employed now and when I tried to get my own dental plan it was crazy how it cost $60 a month for something that only covered maximum $1000-$2000 a year and then it won't cover anything until the next year. And it had waiting periods for some things and then deductibles for every procedure. I cancelled my plan and started putting $120 into a stock fund every month and when I needed a dental checkup or procedure I pulled from it. The fund has been going on for 8 years now and it has $12,000 in it. In 10-15 more years the dividends will be paying for my dental checkups and it will become part of my retirement plan. These companies are screwing most of you.
The trick is to find a dentist that takes ALL dental insurance from every provider (like my dentist) including State Medicaid. You should shop around the difference insur. companies. Some dentist doesn't take insurance AT ALL, those are the ones to avoid.
cause people so used to insurance instead of paying out of pocket. Except with insurance you are adding a middle man and thus raising the prices across the board.
@@zuzanazuscinova5209 I think there’s a general misunderstand here for most people. Amazons purpose is to supply you with goods that you payed for. Insurance company’s purpose is to deny claims, if they pushed all claims through they would go bankrupt, there employees jobs are to find a reason to not cover your claims as per the business model
So in the UK, dentists have price lists available. In Holland, they do it too (and have government pricing caps). Why don't American dentists just publish their pricing?!
Every dentist has a price list. That list is if you pay cash for their services. If the dentist contracts to be a provider for a certain dental insurance they negotiate with that insurance on what they can charge for their services. Every dental insurance pays different prices to the dentist. Every insurance plan also has different requirements for the patient. Some have a deductible, so pay only 50% of a cover service and the patient has to pay the rest of the contracted fee (which is different than the dentist’s cash fee). So you can see how if a dentist accepts dental insurance there is never just one price list.
@@MrTmenzo Exactly. Dentistry is being conflated with other medical and insurance services, especially in the comment section. I've been to about three different dentists in my adult life and each time there was a service other than a cleaning required, they would print out a quote that showed what the insurance pays, what the maximum is, and what I would be required to pay, including any deductible that needs to be satisfied. I could then make an appointment to get the work done, or call back later.
That’s not how insurance works… you’re not paying premiums so that they will return them. You’re paying for a financial service to mitigate your risk in the event that something catastrophic happens. Do auto insurance companies return your premiums if you haven’t been in an accident?
I have my teeth cleaned every three months. But for the most part it seems that in the United States the medical system is about disease management and profits rather than keeping their patients healthy and to minimize diseases.
People get offended when the government tells them to be healthy. For example a few places in the U.S introduced a soda/sugar tax so people can drink less sugary junk but you know their war cry "muh freedom!"
Sadly it gets to be expensive to just have proper dental care. I believe you only get two covered cleanings a year and anything more you have to cover yourself. The system sucks
I need dental care more than I need basic healthcare. Every dental insurance plan I've ever had has been a waste because it still doesn't make even basic dental care affordable. Call me a sucker for continuing to buy dental insurance. Wishful thinking, I guess. 🙄🤦♂️
If you counted the time you take having to deal with the insurance company over the phone, through mail, and with the dentist’s office and put a price on that labor you would most likely come out in the red.
Put your premium into a savings account and ask if there are pay ahead or in-full discounts. You can probably save money by foregoing insurance and make the accounting much easier for your dentist.
Try AARP I just got them and I’m 31 so being not 50+ I have to pay an annual 16 dollar aarp yearly fee and then 34 a month for aarp delta dental. It’s great!
As a truck driver, I have seen a LOT of bad teeth. Important fact: lack of good oral health causes major illness; heart disease, for one. You don't need to believe me - look it up.
I went through a depression and didn't brush my teeth for like 6 months. Maybe twice in that span. My teeth didnt really take a huge hit. Gums receded a little on the top that's about it.
@@myoldvhstapes not many dentists like or want to accept these gov insurances because they don’t like to deal with these programs or be able to collect money. They refuse to accept Medicare or Medicaid.
I don't think 100K for a treatment room is actually that much. How many thousands of dollars a day of revenue does that room produce? If you net only $500 per day (which seems low) from that room it only takes 200 days to recoup your costs.
@@gidd by far, the most expensive part of owning a private dental office is paying for well trained, and highly educated staff. Office managers, dental assistants, hygienists, and receptionists all must be paid a livable wage. I find the general public is surprised by the high level of education and training the dental auxiliaries have.
One sentence basically summarized why not only dental insurance but the entire medical system is so messed up: insurance company can still be profitable.
Do you work for free? Why is profit a bad word? Profit is their "paycheck" for the service they provide. If you don't want them to profit off of you, don't use them. It looks to me like their "profit" comes from lowballing the dentist. They can do that because they send more people to the dentist. Then the dentist can find issues to fix and/or upsell invisible braces, teeth whitening, etc
@@jameswalker590 Profit means the revenue minus expenses, and paychecks are counted as expenses. The profit comes from companies excruciatingly maximizing revenue and minimizing the benefits. By doing so, the executives pocket millions of dollars off of families struggling to pay medical bills. American insurance companies have one purpose: to create profit and deliver it to shareholders. My point is that when it comes to health insurance, we need a NOT-FOR-PROFIT model that 100s of other countries have successfully implemented. Doctors and dentists are still considered higher-class citizens while patients never even have to worry about a hospital visit or a bill outside of the United States. I'm not talking about Cuban doctors making less than bell boys because of socialized health insurance. I'm talking about highly developed countries like the UK, France, Germany, Canada, Japan, etc.
@@ehj1122 don't you think a not-for-profit model would cause doctors and dentists to be paid even less? For example Medicaid. Many doctors won't accept Medicaid because they don't pay enough. If the government forced them to work for less, many would exit the field or not become a doctor to start with. I understand your point, but I'm not sure it would work in the U.S. I've been wrong before, though. A large part of our problem is people going to the doctor (or ER) when not needed (they don't pay). I know people who go to the ER for every little thing when they could go to urgent care (or really don't need to go at all). Telemedicine/virtual visits will probably help healthcare costs. One of the major problems I have with government-provided healthcare is skin in the game. If people don't have skin in the game, they generally don't care...my ER example above. Many people could be more healthy, but they choose not to. I go cliff diving and break my back...you think taxpayers should pay for that? I ride a motorcycle with no helmet and need brain surgery...taxpayers should pay for my bad choice? I'm 100 lbs overweight because I choose to eat unhealthy foods and not exercise...I do drugs and damage my organs requiring surgery. It would be similar if we had government-provided electricity. If it doesn't cost any more money, many would turn the heat up to 78 in the winter, AC on 62 in the summer, leave the doors open, lights/TV's, etc on. If you have to pay for it, you have skin in the game. You minimize your costs because they affect you.
Well anything health-related really is expensive in the US. Ambulances, prescription glasses, insurance, surgery, childbirth (like omg I heard you guys even pay to hold your baby!)
It's why the war on drugs has dragged on for so long... they don't want competition from street vendors, and by banning xyz chemical they just drove the problem underground where people get even more restricted access and die, or end up filling prisons... the usa literally has the world's largest prison population... and it's non-violent drug offenders who were self-medicating..
Ambulances are free to use in my state of Australia. Hospitals free (state owned ones), GP visits free (ones that bulk bill - about 60% of them), urgent dental free. If a person needs more care then the govt will employ someone to look after you personally.
The idea that any form of healthcare, treatment, etc isn't required is pretty messed up. Health insurance companies are spreading dehumanizing rhetoric.
ALL healthcare is very expensive! You can spin up all the political BS you want, but it comes down to one thing: Supply vs Demand. If you try to limit the cost, it will just limit the supply while demand remains high. That's how you get Venezuela. The laws of economics are a lot like the laws of physics. When you insist on violating them, there are consequences.
Summary: insurance system in US is very greedy, all for profit, old, slow, and needs an overhaul. - personally coming out of dental school with 400k debt I’d be extremely tempted to charge as much as i can. *Cost of dental school rose by ave 200k since 1996
@@theendlessdaydream6442 if you do that math, i have either option to pay back ~6k per month for 10 years on ~8k per month salary or do govt payback programs for 25 years in the end where you pay a tax bomb of ~250k in one year. You think dentist these days have an easy life but that’s only true if your parents paid your tuition. And prices of procedures are determined by the market and your skills. Ive seen fillings done for 30 bucks or 600 bucks depending on location, what patients are willing to pay and how good you are.
Agree, I've seen dentists charge as much as they can, making loose fitting crowns, and pleading with the dental office manager to keep "their fee" they get for making it. Not a good incentive.
Yeah why does it cost so much? Oh because school cost so much, you want to get into med school? dental school is way more difficult. Sure you go into a dental office with space age equipment, but why? Are chairs really that different from what they were in the past? Is the equipment they use to clean your teeth any different? Still putting bite wing film into my mouth before zapping my cheek with xrays. They have a problem of the suppliers of the equipment going "oh look shinier better!!!"
Funny-I bought a yacht with what my family saved by opting out of dental insurance and going on family holidays twice a year to Mexico to have all our dental work completed. Medical and dental services in 🇺🇸 have been corrupted by unions, insurance co’s, government and other middlemen.
A lot easier for those who live near a border too. But yeah, often is cheaper to hop on a plane go somewhere else to get the work done, and then fly home. Which says something about the whole system here. I'm not feeling sorry for the dentists who say it costs so much, don't feel sorry for the people supplying the equipment claiming "that's just what it costs!" and certainly not feeling sorry for the dental schools slowly cranking out students with tuition costs that often cost what a house costs.
You *shouldn't* need dental insurance. It *should* be covered under Medicare for All. But "should be" and "actually is" are two different things. The insurance lobby and pharmaceutical companies have an iron grip on our government and they aren't going to let go unless we sever their hands. The good news is that more and more people have begun sharpening their shears...
@@Caseylawton Dental care costs are, for the most part, pulled directly out of the dentist's ass. You can go to 100 dentists for the same procedure and get 100 different prices. But if dentists knew there was a national insurance system that pays "X" for "Y" procedure, no more, no less - then it would create stability and predictability in the pricing as well as avoid arbitrary overcharging because a dentist wants to go on a lion hunting vacation this year.
@@oggyreidmore lol love the lion hunting reference. But tbh the insurance networks have already creating something similar to what you talk about. I work in the industry and have access (like most people do if you know where to look) to the vast majority of dentist & carrier fees. Dental carriers do exactly what you mention they create a much lower fee schedule that providers use in return for access to the insurance carriers members. Medicaid & Medicare do the same thing they just set the fees even lower. Which is why many providers won't except them. They can't make a living at those rates
@@Caseylawton I was under the impression that Medicare doesn't cover dental procedures other than medically necessary surgeries, so it makes sense that most dentists wouldn't bother accepting it. But assuming that Medicare DID cover dental like a private insurance dental plan does, I gotta ask: Are you telling me that a dentist that accepts Medicaid/Medicare pricing makes less than a living wage? As in, the dentist would have to get a second job to make ends meet they make so little? Or do you mean they would make slightly less than the $175,000 per year the average dentist makes? Because if it's the later, let me get my swim trunks on before they cry me a river. If a bunch of cobbled together little insurance companies can make it work, then one giant insurance provider using their same ideas can make it work better. Remember, Medicare for all would have everyone chipping in, not just people with dental insurance, so the increased size of the pool would automatically lower prices and possibly allow them to pay more per client to the dentists.
My biggest annoyance with dentists is that when I call and tell them which insurance I have they always tell me they either dont accept my insurance at all or can get me in in a few months. If I offer to pay cash I'm always told they can can get me in in the next 48 hours.
Because a good Dentist values their time and some of those plans require the dentist to accept a reimbursement fee that is lower than their operating cost. That is why so many Dentist will not accept Medicaid.
@swank1975 Yes, exactly. Just want to add though that some dental insurance will be above operating costs. They just aren't as profitable as being able to bill the man paying cash your office fees that might be 50% more than the rates negotiated by the insurance company. This should actually be seen as a benefit of dental insurance (e.g. even if they only cover 50% of the cost of a crown you are paying 50% of a lower price. That said, in my experience in my state many dental offices don't prefer uninsured. They prefer the insured for whom they can order a whole set of X-rays + fluoride treatment + a cleaning and oral examination and charge the dental insurance company $300+ for it when someone uninsured would have refused and just got a cleaning and an oral examination.
No- the problem is having the money for the preventative care to begin with when people are struggling with paying rent or putting food on the table, paying to heat the home in the winter or putting gas in the car so they can go to work. Paying high prescriptions or fixing the car engine so they can go to work. The money is not available for preventative care.
brush twice a day. If you are eating food and noticing it sticking to your teeth and you don't have floss, take a few sips of water and move it around your mouth; this will help keep your teeth clean.
Dentist that cares here. I'd like to shed some light on some of these comments that seem ill-informed and are quite concerning. Yes dentistry can become expensive but brushing and flossing is very cheap. When you neglect to do those things (properly) you end up with major issues and suddenly the dentist is to blame (I understand there are some cases that are beyond brushing and flossing and may be more genetic but I would argue that it is a very small minority. Studies show that less than 10% of people floss which would solve the majority of your problems because more than 60% of cavities are found in areas that can only be cleansed with floss). The overhead for a dental office is extremely high because most of the material costs are very high and staffing a business is extremely expensive. You may not see the value in spending a few hundred dollars on a filling or root canal or crown but what you dont realize is that it took almost ten years of schooling to be able to do that procedure efficiently, ethically, and minimize the risk of causing an infection and either damaging your tooth or killing you (yes its very possible if your dentist does not know what they are doing). Are there cheaper alternatives in other countries? Absolutely but I can't even begin to tell you how many botched cases I have seen that look great on the surface but are ticking time bombs when viewed on an X-ray due to a dentist in another country not using proper materials, isolation, or only doing half the work they were supposed to. Is every foreign dentist like this? absolutely not but many of the esthetic cases are done fast and with cheap materials to give you that cheap price but in the long term you may lose your teeth. Dentist in other countries do not have liability like US dentists do and can use products that are not highly tested and meet the same standards as the products used in the US (not all foreigns dentist are bad in fact many of them can have even higher than US standards so I dont want to make it seem like you should never trust a foreign dentist.) As far as dentists making lots of money, its true that dentists make a comfortable living but after you go through school for your entire young adult life and you watch your peers buying houses and cars and getting married and having kids and going on vacations while you are studying for years for many nights and weekends and racking up hundreds of thousands in debt, you can see why we are not going to do things at a cost to just break even. If I wanted to make money and keep to myself I would have become an engineer but I chose dentistry because I wanted to help people first and foremost but it becomes harder when people complain that we are too expensive and can sometimes make disrespectful comments about how we are just in it to scam everyone. A little known fact is that the average overhead of a dental office is over 50% due to staffing, laboratory fees, materials costs (we're not exactly using putty from Home Depot to fill your tooth haha), and other every day costs so that "expensive" crown or root canal we did for you..we'll never even see half of that money and what we do get to take home, we get taxed to death because of our tax bracket and what we have left after that often times has to go to students loans that are accruing massive amounts of interest every year because of how high student loan interest is and how it is structured. The first ten years or so we are paying back tons in students loans. We give up years of our life to be able to give you proper, ethical, and beautiful care. Does it take me thirty minutes to do a filling? Yes but it took me years of learning proper technique and practicing to be able to get to that point without damaging your tooth in the long term. Does it take me 20-30 minutes to extract your tooth but cost a few hundred dollars? Yes but the instruments I use to do it properly cost more than you might think (and have to be replaced every so often) and if you want to try and pull it yourself without knowledge of how infections can spread and how to properly take teeth out, you could cause yourself major infection orally and systemically and even die due to fascial infections because of how close your brain and spine are to your teeth. I find it interesting how easy it is to spend hundreds or thousands on a new cell phone that will last you two years but many people find it hard to pay less than that on a crown that will use every day and last you many decades. Its easy to not see the value in your teeth until you lose many of them and can no longer function well. I see patients often that are on the brink of tears because they can barely function with dentures after losing all their teeth most often (but not always) due to neglect because they didn't realize the value of having all their teeth until it was too late. Your dentist isn't just a glorified tooth technician, he or she is a doctor that spent many years understanding technique, physiology, pharmacology, and emergency care in the event that you have a reaction in the chair due to procedure complication or anesthetic complications. As a dentist I just want to do the best I can to treat you well and keep you informed but when you treat us like scam artists it can be a bit saddening. Lastly, I wish dental insurance covered more but often times they are not working with a dentist but against a dentist (charging you more and giving us less and less each year) and just because they are not covering everything that you want them to cover does not mean that we can just lower all our prices because it seems too high. The sad thing many times is that medical insurances will cover your $100,000 procedure in the hospital no problem but dental insurance companies will easily deny a $750 crown that the patient obviously needs. Few ever question the 100k procedure and say its too expensive because its usually covered to an extremely high degree with good insurance but many will complain about paying $100 for dental X-rays that could save you thousands with early diagnosis. This is the state of dental insurance often times and what we have to work with. Like mentioned prior, we have a business to run with not as high of a margin as most people think. I don’t want to start any arguments, just thought it might be insightful for people to hear the other side of the story. I care and want you to have the best dental care possible but if I wanted to help people at the expense of over working myself with a reduced income I would work in fast food and donate my time on the weekends to a charity. It would be much less stressful than running a business where many of your customers hate you when you are trying to help them.
Thank you very much for sharing! This was a well written comment and I agree with many of your points. Admittedly, I am still upset about the high cost, but your comment has showed me that there is more behind this issue. And as a side note, being an engineer, I can tell you that you won't be making much neither haha. I'm still paying off my loans to this day even a few years after graduation.
@@ed-edd-n-eddy As a dentist I completely understand and I am on your side. I wish I could bring my prices down and accept more medicaid so that both adults and children could be getting more care. Also I hope you were not offended by the engineer statement haha I have some engineer friends who I know have major debts as well. My profession would not be possible with advances in engineering so I am grateful for you guys.
@@stan4278 Here is what you aren't saying especially chain dentists and some private ones are running massive frauds. The first way this works is quotas. New graduates take a job at a chain dentistry place they must do a certain amount of work to keep their job needed or not. the company not the dentist sets the treatment plan it tends to be super aggressive. High diagnodent reading = filling large filling = crown. Your $50 cleaning is a method to sell you as much as they can. Some is transparent veneers cosmetic etc much isn't. The treatment variation is outrageous.Youre honest and try great! You need to stand up to the dentist chains esspecially those preying on children on medicaid using papoose boards half the time this is old but it continues this is why people mistrust https:/ /ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-pIoMaw4zC9Q.htmlcheck out this related vid ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-ixo0V6rNqi0.html
@@thelobb I wish you were wrong but you are definitely right William! There are many chains that put high pressure on new dentists that have high debt loads and take the ethical diagnosing out of the equation. I wish there was a way to hold them accountable them but unfortunately they have their hands in the pockets of people that make laws and regulations to avoid consequences and the general public often times are looking for the lowest prices and these companies offer very low prices by controlling treatment plans and making their dentists work crazy hours and do more treatment to make up for the prices. This can lead to low prices but low quality work (not always but sometimes). My recommendation is to interview your dentist just like if you were hiring any contractor. Compare prices and dont let anyone scare you. If your dentist is not genuine and is using scare tactics and is being threatened by you cross shopping, he or she is not the dentist for you. Compare prices and choose a dentist that has a good reputation. It may not always be the cheapest but high quality work that will last is worth every penny compared to rushed work that will fail and need to be replaced.
I appreciate your comment and respect your sincerity.. i think the blame of all this should go like this: insurance companies 50%, employment benefits 35% dentist 10% citizen 5%
Freedom is important. The free market and requiring medical providers to post prices on their websites would be the best solution. You only get free basic healthcare when government agents with guns seize money and labor from someone else.
@@brianblack546 they already do this with the failed war on drugs... it's only made the usa gain the largest prison population on the planet... you can't ban anything... i can literally go buy tritium on ebay right now.. or uranium or anything radioactive but oh no stay away from those marijuana joints... oh wait it's opiates they are attacking now... i can die from drinking too much coffee and that's legal... i can chug a gallon of liquor and die but that's legal... **recall back to when they had alcohol prohibition and think about today**.. Simply replace the word mafia with cartel, and alcohol with (drug of your choice). same thing with the exact same results, just a different era...
Is sad to be living in a country like ours and working full time yet have difficulty paying for dental care. Our system of care should be ashamed of itself.
They never approached or even asked the question of "Why is dentistry overhead so high?" Am I supposed to just take a Dentist at their word? I need a breakdown and justification for why there is a $135 dollar difference for a 1 surface filling vs 3 surface? or why a ceramic crown costs $1,634?
Well said... because they like money and they want a good chunk of it. There's no reason for these prices, other than pure greed. that's what it is, GREED! the same goes for the health. I feel sorry for the American citizens/residents. It's inhuman.
A lot of it comes down to materials and time. Like they said overhead is 65%. More surfaces means more time and more material. That extra 135 dollars isn’t for nothing.
I can tell you the mark up on dental materials is much less than most other commodities. So that’s not a money maker. I often put it to my patients like this, how much do clothing companies mark up their product? Car companies? Contractors? Mechanics? It costs me about $500 to have someone sit in my chair for 1 hour, how much do you think is a fair mark up?
@@briankleinman1111 $500 an hour for one chair? I assume you have more than one chair - probably at least 4. If you have 4 chairs and work 40 hours per week, you're saying you have expenses of $2560000 - two and a half million dollars per month? Seems hard to believe. Maybe 500 an hour for all chairs total
I really would like to know too, its not like a class II composite is going to take THAT much more material than a class I composite (one surface over a two surface filling) and if it is, most likely the patient needs a rebuild and crown and not a huge ass composite thats going to crack in less than a year, oh and that $1634.00 dollar ceramic crown, the lab charges the office around 100-150 dollars tops. They jutstify it as more material and more time but in reality its not that bad as they make it sound, thats why medical tourism is such a big thing, people getting medical and dental care at real prices. (you do have to take in consideration that everything in the US is stupid expensive, rent, mal practice insurance, permits, the new porsche for the doc etc)
Going to the dentist is expensive but buying the newest iphone, google phone, Smart TV, fast cars and designer clothing is not. That's the American mentality.
Genetics play a factor as well, my family has problems with teeth in general 🙄 from cavities, root canals, and implants. I’ve tried to be on the preventive side, it’s just that we have weak teeth
Same! I had luminneers years ago, still looks great. I did care credit and I pay cash for all other dental related, actually works out cheaper. Also helps to have the same dentist for a while
Yes. If you have a family history of dental issues, dental insurance is probably worth it. For everyone else, set aside the money you’d pay in premiums and just pay for cleanings out of pocket. Anytime you visit a dentist, tell them “no” on every upsell. They can manage without the panoramic X-ray, Invisalign’s, or fluoride smears. We didn’t have that crap in the 80s and the majority of people still had functional teeth.
When you get dental insurance through your company, you’ll notice that the employer contributions are pathetic. Then you notice that you’re paycheck is getting reduced to pay for a product that doesn’t really benefit you at all when you actually need to go to the dentist. Then you go to the dentist and the dentist is trying to upsell you. Everyone is a parasite trying to get their cut.
Trust with dentists can be hard to come by. The last time I went to one I took xrays and got a cleaning and the dentist came up with a $9k laundry list of fixes that I needed when I only wanted a filling replaced. I consulted with a friend in Brazil whos sister is a dentist. Prior to the pandemic Brazil had the #3 dental standard in the world after the USA and china. After forwarding xtrays and images of my mouth to the Brazilian dentist she said I had been severely overprescribed and I maybe needed 1/3 of the work I was told. The cost of flying to Brazil to do the dental work out of pocket would be less than the cost of getting it done in the USA with many insurance plans.
To be fair, not everything in X-rays can be caught. An in person exam does help confirm what X-rays may miss but otherwise yeah sounds like you were getting overcharged. A lot of receptionists share stories of insurance people going to their offices and trying to get them to upcharge their patients
That's very crazy indeed. The problem is that Dentists also fight inflation and need to make more money on less treatments. You'd expect a more ethical approach to it... We hear many of these stories in our Albanian clinic. We also help many USA patients from the seaside of Durres!
$1500 u still pay thousands out of pocket because part of that $1500 only cover certain things. I still had $600 left but wasn't put in because it didn't cover what I had done. So it's a rip off
with insurance they charged my family member $2000 for partial dentures... not even good ones made from platinum or iridium... not the rubber ones but definitely not diamond studded... i'm talking low-mid tier; $2000... not even implants, but dentures... and after you pay for all that insurance if they screw up your mouth the dentist can get away with it because it's a "practice"... but if i go "practice" my own form of dentistry on the street i go to prison... the insurance companies and doctors are all in on it together... they've made guilds and call it "practice" so you can't sue them when they screw you up worse
I couldn’t afford dental work for over a decade. I am now in the middle of the process in completing my root canal and I am so glad I have dental insurance now. While it’s still hundreds of dollars, it will help even someone like me even though I am still considered low income.
Most dental insurance is just a dental discount program. Most people are better off just to pay themselves the premiums and have a dental savings account. Remember to vote in November for candidates that support adding dental, vision and hearing to original Medicare.
Thank goodness I have dental insurance. Cracked a tooth and needed an implant. Saved me a boatload of money. I Delta Dental which I think is middle of the road. They covered 80%.
You should know it's easy and hard to make that much profit. I say EASY because it's very possible to make that much, and Hard because you'll need professional assistance to do it, I'd suggest you get assisted by a market advisor.
@@tylerpratt2644 I can't disclose too much, but yea I've been using a coach called Mr Charles Daniel ' 'and through his guidance, I've been able to make approx. $24,000 in dividends on a monthly basis, it is pretty straightforward, not as complicated as it used to be.
Whether or not it's worth it, dental "insurance" is NOT insurance (as the first gentleman said), and it usually doesn't really cover emergency care, only routine, mostly preventative, care. It's more of a subscription where you pay for care in advance, hopefully for a modest discount. And hopefully you actually end up getting the care you already paid for.
Dental schools offer services at greatly reduced prices and the work is done by dental students who are graduating that year and are supervised by dentists. It can literally save you thousands of dollars.
Been there and done that in the 80's by going to Howard University Dental School in Washington, D.C. to get a root canal. It only cost me $5.00 but it was very time consuming going back and forth. Thank goodness, I was unemployed at the time and have the time to go back and forth. One of the positive things, one of the dental students that worked on my mouth attending Morgan State University with me and he was a member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity along with my roommates. He really took good care of me while working on my root canal.
I floss and then use a water flosser. Probably spend 15 or more minutes cleaning my teeth before bedtime. Should mention that I eat only one meal a day and consume no sugar, starchy or processed foods.
I feel like the dentist is more transparent than the medical system. For example when i go get a filling, i am given a price before the work is completed. You can easily call around dentists and their billing staff know the costs up front whereas a medical billing staff usually cant give you a clear answer.
Agreed, I also talk with other dentists to know I’m not getting ripped off out of pocket either. I guess two cleanings of $300 and four fillings for around $400 isn’t so bad.
‘Do you REEEEEALLLLYY need that particular tooth? You have 31 others, you won’t miss that one.’ This is stupid. People die from dental infections that spread to the rest of their body but this is the United States of Not My Problem so this is fine.
LOL these dentists: "but my overhead!! how will i earn a living?!". most solo practice owners make 400k and work 4 days a week. a recent report showed 3/5 dentists can't even agree on a treatment plan for the same patient. dental is 80% salesmanship and 20% science.
And yet there are still people who defend the way our system works as "free market" and "freedom to choose", even when they're paying hand over fist for basic things. You gotta hand it to the politicians and lobbyists who manage to delude the people into keeping the system in place.
FYI that hundreds of thousands cut, as much as 600 thousands cut mentioned is actually the discount they had to give due to insurance negotiations, not a straight net loss. They are saying "I could have made 3 million, but I only made 2.4 million due to the insurance negotiated price. Now I'm going to file a loss of 0.6 million on my balance sheet and pay less tax". These practices still take half to a million a year. I have good insurance and I like going to a good dentist, but I always feel ripped off at the end. What a necessary evil
My elderly Mom had stopped going to dentist due to cost. I finally convinced her to go in. The dentist found a tumor on the back of her tongue she didn't notice. It was cancer. She had a portion of tongue removed and cancer had spread to neck lymph nodes. Not just teeth-overall oral health!! I believe dental insurance for seniors is critical! However reimbursement must be adequate for dentists to take the insurance
Its a big business, thats why I dont tell my dentist I have insurance, so he can do the basic cleaning without overcharging me, then I give the receipt to my insurance company.
All the dentists in my areas are taking big ski trips to the Alps and guess where that money comes from? All these dentists offices have small buildings so give me a break.
I avoided the dentist because of the cost. Even with insurance I was always on the hook with big bills. Cleanings caused me a lot of pain and traumatized me from future cleanings. Now, because of this i do not keep up on preventive visits. I have receeding gums and a bunch of issues at 41. If dental was affordable I would have kept on it instead of avoiding it and having my teeth slowly fall apart. Im insured with aetna and my last visit i got xrays and exam and they wanted to do scaling and cleaning then and there but they couldnt reach aetna to se if it was covered and sent me home
So what exactly is the answer to your title question? Why is dental care so expensive? You explore many things in interview form, but never succinctly answer the question. I come away from this video feeling poorly served.
I think they gave a broad overview of it and it really just comes down to insurance. Like them saying a treatment costing 130 only gets the dentist 80 so a dentist. So it makes sense that a dentist might jack up the price to 200 just to get what they original wanted to cover cost and profit. Or they could just not take insurance that takes a big cut like Medicare/Medicaid as the dentist said. So it’s an insurance problem.
People just don't make dental health a main priority when it should be. I have patients who say they can't afford dentistry when their whole body is covered by things like tattoos or piercings. I let them know the price you paid for that piercing, gold or tattoo you could have had that tooth filled or treatment done.They laugh when I say that because they know its true. Many patients just don't see dentistry as a priority until that front tooth goes bad. Also supplies are very expensive . A small bottle of bond or adhesive can be $100 or more.So yes dentistry is not going to be the same price as buying a Whopper or Big Mac. I've even worked in community health clinics where the fee was $5 and patients would say they do not have the money, even though they are carrying a nice bag and a brand new phone. I can go on and on. People can afford what they want. They will go out of the way to get what they want but neglect what they need. People can afford what they want but not what they need. Also don't wait until you have pain to go to a dentist . That is when its usually to late and a more expensive procedure may need to be done. Go get periodic exams and cleanings . Early detection is the key in all health care :) Note: Its weird when you see a patients with all their teeth bombed out but they have a brand new shiny tongue ring.
Don't make it sound like an USA issue. Issues are pretty much same in many countries over the world. Try to do a major dental work in Hong Kong. Money you can buy a Tesla. The real issue is insurance companies only raise premiums but don't raise coverage amounts.
Our dental system is so terrible I got a $50k surgery (covered by medical insurance) to prevent GERD after having to crown more than half my teeth due to acid erosion. It seemed like the financially wise thing to do as I'm only 26, and having to recrown them is nearly inevitable. Hopefully, the surgery will make the crowns last a long time.
I live in Arizona, and I started driving to Mexico for dental care. It's much more affordable, and I feel like they are more honest with what I actually need.
Great context. Everyone needs more than there salary to be financially stable. The best thing to do with your money is to invest it rightly, Because money left for savings always end up used with no returns..
What do you think the full lab case fee is for the dentist on that Denture case? I'm not talking about those cheap places with the crappy plastic looking dentures. Can you tell me the cost of the tools, software, and supplies they purchase and stock in order to set those implants surgically in the bone of the face or jaw and the extra costs on their malpractice when they are doing those procedures? If a provider cannot safely make a profit doing the work they just wont do it. It's all supply and demand.
@@swank1975 Tools, equipments, chair are not changed with every patient. Consumables used are of much less value. Syringes disposable, medicines used contribute a very small portion of procedure.
@@mandarp9472 well as someone who's worked as a Dental office manager and has seen the books, payroll, taxes, materials, etc. I know from first hand experience it's not just all dismissed as a "small portion" those are all real expenses that add up when you read the quarterly and annual reports.
To keep costs down, get plenty of exercise and avoid sweetners and carbohydrates as diabetes can really drive up costs. My dentist only talks about brushing and flossing even though a dry mouth from diet issues can be more signficant. I limit my checkups to once a year, saves half over what the dentist recommends.
And here i am in a "third world country" Jamaica. Where its about $8000 for routine cleaning $53US. And $3000 JMD, about $20US to fill a tooth. And my work insurance covers most if it. Yup i'll stay in my "third world country"
*Bad dental health in the US of A causes many,* •depression• •cardiovascular disease• •obesity• •malnutrition• •suicide• •stroke• •heart failure• •high blood pressure• •diabetes• •loneliness• •cancer• •elimination of self confidence•
As an foreign subscireber of channel, it is sometimes hard to grasp the whole idea out of video. I think it would be great idea to give an overview about the reason at the end of the video(like they do in BBC).
So...it's that way for insurance companies to make a lot of money and nothing ever changes to make it easier on the dentist office. For the dentist office...the business. What about making it easier for THE PATIENT?
Keep Dental 🦷 insurance aside Dental is ripoff here. Just fly to Colombian, Costa Rica Mexico, Thailand, Turkey etc. Cheep and free holiday. That what I Do. Health insurance is a BS system, it should be only for big events like cancer, Heart , etc. ie like 20-30k+ amount. Rest should be out of pocket & all prices should be written just like we pay for everything. Everyone deposits some amount each year in health account and pay any expense from there. If that deplete then insurance start to cover. Singapore has this system.
I went to the dentist last week, had not gone in 2 years, it cost $300 for cleaning and exams, my self pay insurance pays 100% for that, but it doesn't pay for root canals, crowns, etc. preventive care is the key
I had a rear back tooth extracted yesterday in Washington, D.C. because the tooth was split in the middle causing me pain when I chew or eat something. I went to see a Periodontics & Implantology to get the tooth extracted and it cost $1,677 dollars. This dentist doesn't accept insurance. You have to pay up front then they will submit your claim to your insurance provider. When I turned 65 in 2021, I lost my dental coverage through my employer and I purchased a dental plan for seniors through Physicians Mutual. I found out yesterday, of the $1, 677 dollars I paid at the dentist yesterday, Physicians Mutual will only reimbursement $211. My regular dentist I've been seeing for almost 30 years doesn't extract teeth. He will refer you to dental specialist. I had one tooth implant and it cost close to $5,000. The dentist that extracted my tooth yesterday at a Periodontics & Implantology told me, the cost of a tooth implant would be $2,700 at her office. Then I would have to go back to my regular dentist for a fitting for a crown which would come to $2,700. We'll talking about a total of $5,400 for a damn tooth implant.😪😡
Dental Insurance is a joke. I have had it many times in the past and honestly its a benefit with very little benefits. So having Dental Insurance is like paying for nothing so just pay out of pocket and avoid getting ripped off by the Insurance Industry because you will actually save in the long run all be it a very small savings. Again Dental Insurance is a Joke.
I just pay cash at the dentist , dont get sold on crowns in the back , dont let them convince you that " if you dont do such and such , your jaw will misalign " and that type of BS.. Had a back toooth near my wisdom pulled last yr , it was 400 dollars.. The crown was going to be 2600. But it involved a lot of arguing ,.
I just went in for a cleaning yesterday. Second dentist visited. It’s all a scam. They never say the same thing. It’s always a different issue to every dentist.
There is a recent study that came out about this. Sadly, you could see 10 different dentists and all give a different treatment plan. I always say use your gut and stick with the ones that practice minimally invasive dentistry.
My neighbor is always fighting with his roommate, they're both in their 80s and the conflicts are about how one of them is using the others dentures, but what really bothers the other is that he's being laughed at with his own dentures 😳
