Dental insurance & invisalign

[deleted738762]

Couldn't find much help through google. I want to get invisalign because my teeth are just meh and I'd like to have better teeth. However, I have Molina and it doesn't cover it. I'm thinking about buying dental insurance just so I can afford the treatment. How long do I have to wait before doing the treatment once I buy insurance? I'm sure there has to be some kind of latent period so people don't abuse insurance companies by buying them before a treatment and dropping them after.

Also, I plan on going to my university to get this done since it's a bit cheaper.

As you can tell I don't know much about this so any help would be great.

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[18612366]

Couldn't find much help through google. I want to get invisalign because my teeth are just meh and I'd like to have better teeth. However, I have Molina and it doesn't cover it. I'm thinking about buying dental insurance just so I can afford the treatment. How long do I have to wait before doing the treatment once I buy insurance? I'm sure there has to be some kind of latent period so people don't abuse insurance companies by buying them before a treatment and dropping them after.

Also, I plan on going to my university to get this done since it's a bit cheaper.

As you can tell I don't know much about this so any help would be great.

Once you turn a certain age ortho isn't generally covered by insurance.

 

[deleted738762]

Once you turn a certain age ortho isn't generally covered by insurance.

Yea I'm 22. I guess I'll have to get some kind of payment plan where I can pay monthly? Or wait until dental school, but I feel the more I wait isn't a good thing.

 

[18612366]

Yea I'm 22. I guess I'll have to get some kind of payment plan where I can pay monthly? Or wait until dental school, but I feel the more I wait isn't a good thing.

Wait til dental school. They charge dental students like $500 for Invisalign... well thats what it was like 5 years ago for UF dental students.

 

[deleted738762]

Wait til dental school. They charge dental students like $500 for Invisalign... well thats what it was like 5 years ago for UF dental students.

It that a common trend among dental schools where dental students get massive discounts? 500$ is really really CHEAP!

 

[18612366]

It that a common trend among dental schools where dental students get massive discounts? 500$ is really really CHEAP!

Probably... the way I see it they want to get future dentists to use their product. So discounting it for poor dental students is a no-brainer .

 

[Tooth]

1. You don't have to get Invisalign. You can get conventional braces
2. If you get started on treatment, and then get insurance, you better make sure you have "treatment in progress" coverage or they will pay jack.
3. There are plans that have coverage for adults but they usually are more like coupon than insurance. Lets say it covers $500, $1000, or $1500. How much are you going to pay in premiums for that coverage. Will you pay more than you save?
4. Electing Invisalign usually is not a good economic decision. You are involving a 3rd party and they don't accept payment plans. Your orthodontist will have to pay the lab bill up front. It can be a couple thousand dollars that you will have to pay up front as a "down payment" or "deposit". It's all going to Invisalign.
5. I got braces for $0 at dental school. One of my classmates (who had 0 experience) got to put them on under the direction of a resident, under the direction of an actual orthodontist faculty member. He did great. I recommend actual braces at dental school. Make sure you have 2 years left at dental school when you get started. Many ortho tx plans are 2 or 2.5 years.

 

[deleted738762]

1. You don't have to get Invisalign. You can get conventional braces
2. If you get started on treatment, and then get insurance, you better make sure you have "treatment in progress" coverage or they will pay jack.
3. There are plans that have coverage for adults but they usually are more like coupon than insurance. Lets say it covers $500, $1000, or $1500. How much are you going to pay in premiums for that coverage. Will you pay more than you save?
4. Electing Invisalign usually is not a good economic decision. You are involving a 3rd party and they don't accept payment plans. Your orthodontist will have to pay the lab bill up front. It can be a couple thousand dollars that you will have to pay up front as a "down payment" or "deposit". It's all going to Invisalign.
5. I got braces for $0 at dental school. One of my classmates (who had 0 experience) got to put them on under the direction of a resident, under the direction of an actual orthodontist faculty member. He did great. I recommend actual braces at dental school. Make sure you have 2 years left at dental school when you get started. Many ortho tx plans are 2 or 2.5 years.

I don't wanna wait till that long. I'd get braces too but I though invisalign/braces are the "same" so don't get covered by insurance. I don't trust dental students for a job like that either no offense. It's cheaper but riskier.

 

[Tooth]

I don't wanna wait till that long. I'd get braces too but I though invisalign/braces are the "same" so don't get covered by insurance. I don't trust dental students for a job like that either no offense. It's cheaper but riskier.

Fair enough. It's also not a good idea to start braces with one doc and then move out of town. Trust me, it's a bad move. Finding a new ortho is not like finding a new GP. Many will not take transfer cases under any circumstances. Others may but will usually charge you to remove your braces and then you have to start all over again. Only some will take you as you are and move on from there. So, just keep that in mind. Make sure wherever you go you have 2-3 years remaining in that location.

 

[aliqudsi]

It that a common trend among dental schools where dental students get massive discounts? 500$ is really really CHEAP!

Generally all schools will have some sort of discount for orthodox work on their students. At UIC we have any orthodox treatment regardless if it's Invisalign or normal ortho for $1600 I think. Regardless of the extent of treatment involved.

 

[aliqudsi]

I don't wanna wait till that long. I'd get braces too but I though invisalign/braces are the "same" so don't get covered by insurance. I don't trust dental students for a job like that either no offense. It's cheaper but riskier.

Just to point out you'll very rarely (if at all) ever find a dental student who does ortho. Simply because they don't have the time to follow up with you. At schools where there is some sort of ortho requirement the students are usually paired up and do the case with a resident. So basically the resident doe all the work.

 

[2TH MVR]

Conventional braces and aligner treatment is not the same. I agree that the aligner tech is improving, but conventional braces is still the most effective given that idealism is the goal.