Even those that are insured, do not have as much coverage as they probably should. According to the BusinessWeek article,

The vast majority of policies have a $1,500 annual cap on payouts, a level that hasn’t changed since the 1970s, though premiums have been rising. That $1,500 can easily be wiped out by one complicated root canal or a crown.

So, how are many people coping with this lack of insurance? Dental tourism.

In places like Bangkok, Hungary, and Mexico, dental care costs are dramatically lower than in the U.S., and the quality of care is quite comparable. For example, “Teeth caps that range from $750 to $1,000 in the U.S. cost $150 in Mexico, according to the article.” Many other dental procedures offer similarly steep discounts. What’s important to remember is that these procedures are largely routine procedures as opposed to cosmetic improvements. For a number of people, dental tourism is their only hope for treating dental ailments.

What’s perhaps surprising is that most patients seeking dental care overseas are pleased with the quality of care that they receive. Dr. Stewart Hirsch, of New York University College of Dentistry, believes that there is “no reason to assume the quality of care is any lower overseas.” That’s encouraging for the uninsured that are seeking affordable dental work, but are weary of overseas dental care.

Before looking into dental tourism as an option, do your homework, and remember that there are no international standards, and little legal recourse for malpractice. If you do decide that medical tourism is a good option for you, however, it is recommended that you find a dentist like you do in the U.S. - through referrals.

Your Experiences

Do you have personal experience with dental tourism? Please share them with the rest of us.

100+ Million Americans Without Dental Coverage

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, more than 100 million Americans are currently living without any form of affordable dental care coverage. This is certainly an alarming number considering the widely accepted link between dental health and overall health.

The National Association of Dental Plans(NADP) considers discount dental plans as a viable, cost-effective alternative to traditional dental insurance: “With an estimated 45 percent of Americans not having any type of dental coverage, and the dental insurance marketplace offering few, affordable dental products for individuals, discount dental plans are an attractive answer to the need to reduce consumer out-of-pocket costs and increase access to care.”

What is a Discount Dental Plan

Though, I’ve written several posts in the past about discount dental plans, I’ll briefly mention the essentials. A discount dental plan is a discount plan, not insurance, that entitles you to discounts on most dental procedures at a local dentist. Depending on the plan you select, you can save 10%-60% on most dental procedures. The savings can add up quickly even on x-rays and fillings.

There are no forms to fill out, everyone is accepted, you can choose from over 100,000+ participating dentists, and there are more than 30+ high quality plans to choose from. If you don’t have traditional dental insurance, or your self-employed, you can see how helpful a discount dental plan could be for you.

So, how much do they cost? Typically, for an individual plan you’ll pay around $80/yr and $130/yr for a family plan. With just a few visits to the dentist its easy to see that you’ll have more than payed off the cost of the plan for the entire year. Well worth it in my opinion.

How to Find a Local Plan

Believe it or not, finding a discount dental plan is actually really easy. I would recommend, however, that you take the time to browse the benefits and restrictions(if any) associated with each plan. Also make sure that the plan you choose has dentists in your area that accept your plan.

Step 1

Visit DentalPlans.com

Step 2

Enter your zip code into the zip code search box on the right side of the homepage.

Step 3

Browse and compare plans available in your area. Be sure to look at each plan’s fee schedule to determine which dental procedures receive discounts and the extent of the discount. Choose a plan.

Step 4

Once you have selected a discount dental plan, click the big blue “Join this Program” button.

Step 5

After clicking the “Join this Program” button, you’ll be brought to this screen. This is just notifying you that you’ve added a discount dental plan to your cart. On this screen, you’ll also see the plan type you selected(individual or family), as well as the final price of the plan. Make sure that this information is correct and look down the page to the “Apply Discount(Optional) form on the left.

At this point, type in DPP10 in the coupon code box to save 10% off the final price of your plan - compliments of DentalHeroes.com

Click the “New Member Checkout” button to enter the billing information page.

Step 6

Finally, fill out the billing information form and choose to pay by credit card, eCheck, or by mail. You’re Finished! Within 1 to 3 days your plan will be activated so you can begin receiving the discounts according to your plan’s fee schedule at any participating dentist that accepts your plan.

Get Started

To get started, visit DentalPlans.com.

Important Note: DentalPlans.com is the premier discount dental plan broker on the net. They’ve contracted with more than 30 national and regional discount dental plan providers to provide you with an environment where you can quickly and easily access an compare information for each of the plans.

“This shows why — no matter how bad the condition of the economy — we can’t delay pursuing comprehensive health care,” said Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio. “There are too many victims who are innocent of anything but working at the wrong place at the wrong time.”

According to TwinCities.com, President-elect Obama and the new Democratic Congress will be focused on “expanding access to health insurance, with federal subsidies.” I’m not excited about paying for massive subsidies, but what happens if the jobless rate continues to increase. Is anyone immune from losing their job? What happens if we should one day need assistance? That’s something I’ve been thinking about more lately, and it frightens me.

There is hope for some, however. “In some cases, people who are laid off can maintain their group health benefits under a federal law, the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1986, known as COBRA, says TwinCities.com.” Check with your employer or your state’s Department of Labor for more information.

Source: TwinCities.com

Each month we’re going to feature a discount dental plan or dental insurance plan that will help you save a significant amount of money at the dentist.

This months featured plan is the Avia Dental Plan. The Avia Dental Plan, based out of Wheeling, WV, is one of the most comprehensive, yet affordable discount dental plans on the market today.

Avia Dental Plan Benefits

• Affordable discount dental plans starting at only $8.00 a month
• Everyone is accepted
• No Waiting. Once you’ve signed up, you can immediately start receiving discounts
• Save up to 50% on your dental expenses, our fee schedules are lower than most dental plans
• Unlimited visits to the dentist

Includes Vision & Prescription Discounts

What makes the Avia Discount Dental Plan unique at this pricepoint is that the plan includes discount prescription and vision services as well. How many discount dental plans do you know that can say that?

For additional information regarding the Avia Dental Plan, our discount dental plan of the month, simply visit the Avia Dental Plan website.

Unfortunately, the state of dental insurance in America is bleak. Even prior to the economic collapse of recent, more than 108 million Americans(cdc.gov) lacked some form of dental insurance coverage. That’s nearly 1 in 3 Americans unable to receive even basic dental care.

What’s particularly disheartening about the large amount of uninsured Americans, is that study after study has been released in recent years supporting a close connection between oral health and overall health. This means, of course, that large numbers of Americans are falling ill unnecessarily each year all because they’re unable to visit a dentist for what should be routine care.

CBS Dental Insurance Crisis Video

CBS produces a news segment called “The Other America” which highlights stories about the underpriviliged. This segment focused on the dental insurance crisis in America. Have a look.

Fixing the Problem

I’m betting if you were to ask people on the street what their solution were to the dental insurance crisis, they would probably say something along the lines of “Universal Dental Care”. This is evidenced by the election of Barack Obama. Don’t worry, I’m not going to get political here, but I’m adamant that Universal Dental Care is not the answer. Look at Britain. Do a simple Google search for “British Dental Care Problems” or something to that effect and you’ll see that socializing dental care has caused tremendous problems over there.

What do you think?

So, what’s the solution? Honestly, I don’t know. What do you think?