To Buy or Not to Buy Dental Insurance…That is the Question

Now, I understand what you may be thinking. Dental Insurance? This could potentially be the driest blog topic in the world, but hey we all deal with it. I’ve been grappling with the decision of whether or not to buy dental insurance. Doesn’t sound like a captivating or tough decision, but somehow I have the uncanny ability to make it so. I’m new to this because I’ve always worked in the corporate world and have been blessed to not have to navigate the maze of individual health insurance or individual dental insurance. My only choices were high plan or low plan … check the box. And that left me stupified enough. I remember procrastinating every year or two during the one week “open renewal” crunch time, when I brought my plan overview book home with every intention of reading it, only to end up plopped on the couch in front of another re-run of Seinfeld. Finally last day, last hour, I’m trying to read what’s included in a health plan or dental plan my employer offered…and I get weak in the knees and fold like a deck of cards..Low risk equals High Plan. Check mark. Done.

Much has changed. After a lay off at the end of last year and the lack of Cobra government supplement meant I had to find all my own insurance. OK. After extensive analysis which often leads to analysis paralysis for me, I got individual health insurance. Woohoo. I felt like a grown up. (Note: As a 36-year-old woman, I probably shouldn’t be that proud, but hey, small step for man kind…large step for Stephanie-kind.) Now…to tackle the dental insurance piece. Indecision, indecision…no decision. I do nothing.

Now here I sit. Still undecided. With no dental insurance. My dental appointment for a teeth cleaning appointment via recorded phone call just came to me this morning. The robot woman at the other end of the line says, “Your dental appointment is for Tuesday at 10 am. Press 1 to confirm.” I didn’t confirm. Then, shortly thereafter, an email with the same information with a “please click to confirm” giant green button glaring at me. Still, I didn’t confirm. Should I cancel my appointment and buy individual dental insurance so I don’t have to pay the full exam amount? What do I have to lose? Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock.

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