Dental Insurance

My boys do not have any teeth yet but our open enrollment for health insurance for 2009 starts next month. I don't know if I should put the boys on my dental plan for next year. hopefully we will have some teeth by then. Do you know what the recommended age for their first dental visit is? Thanks!

 

I thought I heard age 3 for the first visit?

 

I looked into this recently for the same reason. My ped recommended that we see the dentist in the second year, probably around 18 months. He rec a ped dentist as well. So I called the dentist office and asked them how much an office visit/checkup exam would be next year. It is $95. When I added up how much it would be to add them to my dental plan it is around $450/year. Sooooo... I will be adding the $200 for the visits to my flex plan instead.

Anyway, my point is that you might look into how much your plan is versus paying out for it. I have really been examining our health plans for these types of savings.

 

My twins will be going to the ped. dentist, 6 months after their first tooth comes in... so usually around 1 year. If you can find a ped. dentist, that is covered on your insurance... go for it. They are awesome. My other 2 youngest already go and they love it. I wish I could have put my other's there, but they are too old. I don't know what the age is for a gen. dentist. SOOO... I guess depending on what kind of dentist they are going to go to... would depend on when to put them on. I already put the twins on ours... We have a family plan, so it doesn't matter how many we add, it's the same price. I will be making that first appointment the minute we get our first teeth!

 

I would talk to your benefits department. According to our dental insurance, children are covered up to age 5, without moving up to the "family plan". We just moved up this year since my son turned 5, but before then he was covered under the plan somehow. I don't understand it all, I just know that is what the benefits people told us to do, and he was covered.

 

We have open enrollment every December so if you are the same, my recommendation is to enroll them on the December before they turn three and schedule an appointment for around their third birthday -- unless you have reason to think that they'll need to go before. But given that they currently have not teeth, you wouldn't know that until then. But definitely not this year, maybe next...

 

When our girls were little, we added them their first year. If something would happen to a baby tooth and they needed to be seen, it was easier, and a lot cheaper for us, to have them covered. But that would depend on how much it costs to add them.

 

Thank you all for your responses! I am going to hold off this year and sign them up 2010. Someone mentioned to me that pediatric dentists might not be covered by dental ins. I will have to check into that!

 

We just had a ped dentist come and talk to our MOMs group. They recommended coming in for a quick visit around their 2nd birthday. They said it's more for the parents to learn about brushing the kids teeth, toothpastes, flossing, and to give you someone to call if there is an accident where they hurt their mouth/teeth. It also helps the kids feel more comfortable and not get scared of the dentist. She said it is very very good for parents who are scared to come too so they can see how different the ped dentist is before you are there for actual dental problems or an accident. Pediatric dentists are covered by insurance, but like any other insurance you have to find one covered by your insurance.

Of course I added my boys to my plan already because online research said first birthday. So I'm out that money, I may take them at 1 or 18 months anyway.

 

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