Should I get insurance?

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Mdoodm1000
Posts: 16
Joined: Tue Oct 04, 2011 2:15 pm

Should I get insurance?

#1 Post by Mdoodm1000 »

Ok so I'm 19, so I really don't have much knowledge of insurance or how it works, so if you could help me, I would really appreciate it. I'm currently trying to begin my journey to having straight teeth. I have had a cosult with an ortho and he told me I would probably need jaw surgery and braces. I have no insurance, so do you think it would be a good idea to get some? I've known people that have paid for braces all by themselves without insurance, so there must be a reason why they didn't get it. Are most adults not covered for braces? Thanks for any answers!

ArchWired28
Posts: 636
Joined: Mon Jun 20, 2011 10:44 am
Location: Tampa, FL, USA

Re: Should I get insurance?

#2 Post by ArchWired28 »

A few dental plans that I saw covered young adults up to 26 for braces, so you should be ok. But it is in Florida. Also, most of them have a lifetime orthodontia maximum of $1000-2000 depending on the state, which is relatively low but may be worth a shot.

Jaw surgery is a different piece of pie, no insurance will cover it unless your surgeon can convince them that it is medically necessary (as opposite to cosmetic). There are very stringent criteria, i.e. your speech and/or chewing or breathing must be impacted to the point when it is interfering with your life.

To sum it up, you have to really get all your options and info together and decide whether the benefit from insurance will be worth the hassle and payments. Every case is very different and there's no simple one-size-fits-all answer. Good luck!
Had full mouth metal braces for 21 months. Debonded April 2013. Now wearing clear plastic retainers every other night.

I have no formal dental or orthodontic education. Hence, all opinions expressed by me on this forum are those of an "informed consumer" and by no means intended as an expert advice.

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