Dentists Say Dental Insurance Benefits Are Laughable
Dentists are frustrated with the current system of dental insurance, feeling that it benefits the insurance companies more than dental patients or doctors.


/Dental News Articles/ - TIBURON, CA, May 18, 2008 - Dental insurance is a major source of frustration for dentists, with 94% of dentists in a recent Wealthy Dentist poll saying they would like to see their colleagues organize against insurance companies. "Insurance benefits no one but the insurance company," opined one dentist.

Dentists' biggest complaint is that dental insurance benefits have not been raised in decades. "While fees for service continue to increase, the benefit allowance has stayed the same since the 1970s," complained a California dentist. "We dentists come out looking like the bad guys... go figure." "The customary benefit of $1,000.00 is laughable. That worked in 1960, but not in 2008," agreed a Massachusetts dentist.

Consumers are often confused by the fact that, unlike health insurance, dental insurance is not true insurance at all. Unaware of this, many patients needing significant amounts of dentistry are shocked to discover that their dental plans will pay only a small portion of their expenses."Dental insurance is a myth. It is more like a 'gift card' with many exclusions," declared a New Jersey dentist.

Some dentists think that joining a dental insurance plan is not always in a patient's best interest. "Dental insurance is a misleading concept for the patient," said a Florida dentist. "I advise patients not to obtain dental insurance if they will practice preventive dentistry. Most times they will be in control of their destiny and ahead of the game financially."

Dentists detest the idea of insurance companies deciding which treatments are acceptable. "It's horrible! You can't do dentistry without insurance companies regulating patients acceptance and treatment," moaned an Iowa dentist. "They seem to want to talk the patients out of the best treatment and only provide them with 'cost effective' treatments that in the long term are more costly," said an Illinois dentist.

The American Dental Association (ADA) is the largest dental association in the US. "Insurance companies are getting away with murder!" said a Massachusetts dentist. "I feel the ADA should be negotiating with the insurance as a collective bargaining agent for doctors."

Dentists wonder what the profession can do to do battle with the dental insurance industry. "I think dentists across the country should drop being a preferred dentist for all insurances," suggested a Georgia dental office worker. "Then we'd see a change in the chokehold insurance companies have on the health industry."

Some dentists would prefer not to get involved. "I don't feel any need to fight with insurance companies," said an Oregon dentist. "The financial battle is between the patient and the insurance company if the patient chooses to take up that battle. It's not my battle."

To many, it seems that insurance benefits only the insurance companies. "They are a profit-generating entity that does not put the interest of the patient above profits," wrote a Maryland dentist. "Thieves of the trade! They do not care for patients, only their bottom line. I wish we could get rid of them all together," agreed a Florida dentist.

"Most consumers aren't aware of the vast difference between dental insurance and medical insurance," said Jim Du Molin, dental patient marketing guru and founder of dental website The Wealthy Dentist. "Dentists hate to be the ones to break the bad news to patients when insurance won't pay for treatment."

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Jim Du Molin
The Wealthy Dentist
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Tiburon, CA
USA 94920
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