Q.I am an individual patient needing several crowns and fillings. What is the best dental insurance I can get for treatment in Flagstaff? I am a self employed plumber.
A. Dental insurance companies are there to make money. Their business model is to insure many people at once through an employer. They count on the statistic that in a given year less than half the people with their insurance will even visit the dentist. When you seek dental insurance individually, they know you need work and will seek treatment. Most dental insurers don't have an individual plan but if they do, it will have a pre-existing condition clause. Occasionally you may find a policy with a limited provider list where the dentist has agreed to charge a small percentage of usual and customary fees. Beware of the quality of treatment in this case. Dental offices run 60% overhead. If a dentist were to discount 50% off their normal fee, they would actually lose money. So the only way to do this and make money is to cut some major corners. In dentistry, you often get what you pay for. To see information on dental insurance at Dr. Bacon's Flagstaff office click here
