Comments on: On Teeth and Insurance, aka Headcare http://fauxrealtho.com/2007/03/27/on-teeth-and-insurance/ Sat, 30 Aug 2008 06:24:00 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6 By: Endangered smile http://fauxrealtho.com/2007/03/27/on-teeth-and-insurance/#comment-210878 Endangered smile Sat, 29 Mar 2008 03:40:49 +0000 http://fauxrealtho.com/2007/03/27/on-teeth-and-insurance/#comment-210878 I am so worried about my teeth. I am working as a contracted employee because I needed income since I was laid off and downsized twice in the past 6 years. Most companies are only hiring temps and there are no benefits. All I am looking for is a dental plan since I am basically healthy. I want to continue with the maintenance of my teeth, bad teeth lead to poor health. I would be willing to pay $50/month to have this protection so that I can go to the dentist for an exam, cleaning, have my cavity filled. It is so difficult to find individual dental care. I've noticed that some states do offer it, but my dentist only accepts specific ones and most dentists do not except just any insurance. I have check with Aetna, Delta Dental, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Oxford and I cannot seem to find insurance anywhere. Does anyone have any ideas for me on where to look for affordable dental insurance that most dentist will accept? Affording full benefits in New Jersey is out of the question if I want to eat and have a roof over my head. It is so scary to be out there without medical benefits. There has to be somewhere to go to for help in obtaining affordable benefits. I work hard and am not looking for a free ride. Just a break for an affordable plan so I can have peace of mind that if something happens to me, I will not be put out on the curb. Anyone have any ideas on how I can get insurance just until I can get a permanent job as opposed to a contract position with an temp. agency? Any advise would be much appreciated. I am so worried about my teeth. I am working as a contracted employee because I needed income since I was laid off and downsized twice in the past 6 years. Most companies are only hiring temps and there are no benefits. All I am looking for is a dental plan since I am basically healthy. I want to continue with the maintenance of my teeth, bad teeth lead to poor health. I would be willing to pay $50/month to have this protection so that I can go to the dentist for an exam, cleaning, have my cavity filled. It is so difficult to find individual dental care. I’ve noticed that some states do offer it, but my dentist only accepts specific ones and most dentists do not except just any insurance. I have check with Aetna, Delta Dental, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Oxford and I cannot seem to find insurance anywhere. Does anyone have any ideas for me on where to look for affordable dental insurance that most dentist will accept? Affording full benefits in New Jersey is out of the question if I want to eat and have a roof over my head. It is so scary to be out there without medical benefits. There has to be somewhere to go to for help in obtaining affordable benefits. I work hard and am not looking for a free ride. Just a break for an affordable plan so I can have peace of mind that if something happens to me, I will not be put out on the curb. Anyone have any ideas on how I can get insurance just until I can get a permanent job as opposed to a contract position with an temp. agency? Any advise would be much appreciated.

]]> By: Holliewood http://fauxrealtho.com/2007/03/27/on-teeth-and-insurance/#comment-59538 Holliewood Fri, 22 Jun 2007 07:30:53 +0000 http://fauxrealtho.com/2007/03/27/on-teeth-and-insurance/#comment-59538 I think dental insurance is neglected because people don't think that they will necessarily need it, or they can afford to live without it. I have seen that people are opting to travel outside of the US for dental care, even to Mexico, because it's not only cheap but it's very good(not always, of course). In case your interested you may want to check out a book called "Patients Without Borders", which is about getting all types of quality dental and health care in foreign countries with no insurance. I think dental insurance is neglected because people don’t think that they will necessarily need it, or they can afford to live without it. I have seen that people are opting to travel outside of the US for dental care, even to Mexico, because it’s not only cheap but it’s very good(not always, of course). In case your interested you may want to check out a book called “Patients Without Borders”, which is about getting all types of quality dental and health care in foreign countries with no insurance.

]]> By: Link is in the heart. « Truly Outrageous http://fauxrealtho.com/2007/03/27/on-teeth-and-insurance/#comment-22882 Link is in the heart. « Truly Outrageous Fri, 30 Mar 2007 22:18:54 +0000 http://fauxrealtho.com/2007/03/27/on-teeth-and-insurance/#comment-22882 [...] On the healthcare front, Lauren at Faux Real Tho! breaks down the illogic of lack of dental/eyecare in most employee benefits packages (that is, if you’re lucky enough to not be one of the 47 million uninsured Americans). Echidne addresses bias in media reporting of healthcare. Her critique focuses on distortions in reporting gender results, although race and class biases play their part, as this post by Sylvia indicates. [...] [...] On the healthcare front, Lauren at Faux Real Tho! breaks down the illogic of lack of dental/eyecare in most employee benefits packages (that is, if you’re lucky enough to not be one of the 47 million uninsured Americans). Echidne addresses bias in media reporting of healthcare. Her critique focuses on distortions in reporting gender results, although race and class biases play their part, as this post by Sylvia indicates. [...]

]]> By: Betsy http://fauxrealtho.com/2007/03/27/on-teeth-and-insurance/#comment-22076 Betsy Thu, 29 Mar 2007 19:16:07 +0000 http://fauxrealtho.com/2007/03/27/on-teeth-and-insurance/#comment-22076 It's so true! I'm in a PhD program at a university that, shall we say, is not hurting financially. But do they give grad students dental care or eye care along with the otherwise-great primary/preventive* care health plan we have? My heavens, no! As a result, I try to get a checkup once every 2 years or so, which is about all I can afford. *Great primary care, yes. But once you have a more serious problem, they limit your visits to outside specialsts to an absurdly small number before you have to start shelling out the dough. It’s so true! I’m in a PhD program at a university that, shall we say, is not hurting financially. But do they give grad students dental care or eye care along with the otherwise-great primary/preventive* care health plan we have? My heavens, no! As a result, I try to get a checkup once every 2 years or so, which is about all I can afford.

*Great primary care, yes. But once you have a more serious problem, they limit your visits to outside specialsts to an absurdly small number before you have to start shelling out the dough.

]]> By: Summer http://fauxrealtho.com/2007/03/27/on-teeth-and-insurance/#comment-22025 Summer Thu, 29 Mar 2007 17:04:46 +0000 http://fauxrealtho.com/2007/03/27/on-teeth-and-insurance/#comment-22025 I am a fairly new reader to your site, but I felt the need to respond. I am a full time student and a part time worker. I have a two year old daughter, and a partner. Between him and I, we make a decent amount of money, especially for the area of the country we live in. We cannot afford to go to the dentist; we can barely afford the basic medical insurance- which we have for emergencies- but we can no way afford to go to the dentist. I have horrible, horrible teeth that can be accounted for by two things: bad genetics and no dental insurance. I have never had dental insurance in all of my 27 years- I cannot even remember the last time I went to the dentist. As a result, I have several cracked teeth and one that I am almost positive is infected. But at the end of the day, I have to decide if my family gets to eat, or do we spend money on "silly" things such as having my teeth fixed. I just thank my lucky stars that my daughter got my partner's teeth. They are perfect. Otherwise, we may not have to eat. I will not have her go through the pain and embarassment that I have to all because we can't afford dental insurance. Even then, I am not sure we could afford to go to the dentist, as I am sure it would not cover everything. I am a fairly new reader to your site, but I felt the need to respond. I am a full time student and a part time worker. I have a two year old daughter, and a partner. Between him and I, we make a decent amount of money, especially for the area of the country we live in. We cannot afford to go to the dentist; we can barely afford the basic medical insurance- which we have for emergencies- but we can no way afford to go to the dentist. I have horrible, horrible teeth that can be accounted for by two things: bad genetics and no dental insurance. I have never had dental insurance in all of my 27 years- I cannot even remember the last time I went to the dentist. As a result, I have several cracked teeth and one that I am almost positive is infected. But at the end of the day, I have to decide if my family gets to eat, or do we spend money on “silly” things such as having my teeth fixed. I just thank my lucky stars that my daughter got my partner’s teeth. They are perfect. Otherwise, we may not have to eat. I will not have her go through the pain and embarassment that I have to all because we can’t afford dental insurance. Even then, I am not sure we could afford to go to the dentist, as I am sure it would not cover everything.

]]> By: zuzu http://fauxrealtho.com/2007/03/27/on-teeth-and-insurance/#comment-22015 zuzu Thu, 29 Mar 2007 16:47:53 +0000 http://fauxrealtho.com/2007/03/27/on-teeth-and-insurance/#comment-22015 A young boy died recently due to not being able to get an infected tooth taken care of because his parents couldn't afford dental care. I know Pandagon covered it. A young boy died recently due to not being able to get an infected tooth taken care of because his parents couldn’t afford dental care. I know Pandagon covered it.

]]> By: Heliologue http://fauxrealtho.com/2007/03/27/on-teeth-and-insurance/#comment-21704 Heliologue Thu, 29 Mar 2007 05:35:35 +0000 http://fauxrealtho.com/2007/03/27/on-teeth-and-insurance/#comment-21704 <blockquote> He brushes obsessively and actually flosses daily (I don’t know anyone else that does that). </blockquote> *raises hand* But, I'm so tight-assed that the thought of fucking up the teeth we paid ≈$3k to straighten sends me into conniptions. My family has always been blessed enough to have more or less comprehensive insurance, from eyes to teeth to general medicine (even if we bitch about premiums). It's only lately do I realize how many people don't have that.

He brushes obsessively and actually flosses daily (I don’t know anyone else that does that).

*raises hand*

But, I’m so tight-assed that the thought of fucking up the teeth we paid ≈$3k to straighten sends me into conniptions.

My family has always been blessed enough to have more or less comprehensive insurance, from eyes to teeth to general medicine (even if we bitch about premiums). It’s only lately do I realize how many people don’t have that.

]]> By: Chuck http://fauxrealtho.com/2007/03/27/on-teeth-and-insurance/#comment-21671 Chuck Thu, 29 Mar 2007 04:04:47 +0000 http://fauxrealtho.com/2007/03/27/on-teeth-and-insurance/#comment-21671 Yeah, I'm doing knowledge engineering for a dot-com, like it's 1997 or something. At this point, I'm not sure what my NDA allows me to talk about and what it doesn't (HR and I have some things to go over). Whatever. It's nice to know that for the low, low price of two college degrees you can get a somewhat poorly paying job in the Bay Area, despite the oft-cited burst of the tech industry bubble. Yeah, I’m doing knowledge engineering for a dot-com, like it’s 1997 or something. At this point, I’m not sure what my NDA allows me to talk about and what it doesn’t (HR and I have some things to go over).

Whatever. It’s nice to know that for the low, low price of two college degrees you can get a somewhat poorly paying job in the Bay Area, despite the oft-cited burst of the tech industry bubble.

]]> By: Noah http://fauxrealtho.com/2007/03/27/on-teeth-and-insurance/#comment-21588 Noah Thu, 29 Mar 2007 00:14:02 +0000 http://fauxrealtho.com/2007/03/27/on-teeth-and-insurance/#comment-21588 Congrats on the new job, Chuck!! Details? Congrats on the new job, Chuck!! Details?

]]> By: Lauren http://fauxrealtho.com/2007/03/27/on-teeth-and-insurance/#comment-21566 Lauren Wed, 28 Mar 2007 23:11:07 +0000 http://fauxrealtho.com/2007/03/27/on-teeth-and-insurance/#comment-21566 Chef has, I swear, the healthiest teeth ever and he hasn't seen a dentist in about a decade. He brushes obsessively and actually flosses daily (I don't know anyone else that does that). My beef with my genetics is that according to my doctor there isn't much I can do to avoid cavities -- the molar shape breeds plaque and it's unreachable by a regular toothbrush, so it's fill or fill. What gives, Mother Nature?! Chef has, I swear, the healthiest teeth ever and he hasn’t seen a dentist in about a decade. He brushes obsessively and actually flosses daily (I don’t know anyone else that does that).

My beef with my genetics is that according to my doctor there isn’t much I can do to avoid cavities — the molar shape breeds plaque and it’s unreachable by a regular toothbrush, so it’s fill or fill. What gives, Mother Nature?!

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