Early Retirement Extreme Forums

Dental insurance in my experience seems to pay for routine, predictable treatment like teeth cleaning and x rays. It apparently does not pay for replacement of a failing filling. Why is this? Cleaning and x rays are relatively cheap and done on a schedule. I don't need help from insurance for these. I do need help paying for treatment which is expensive and unpredictable, but the insurance is useless there. Why is this?

I think you are exactly right. The cost of two cash-price dental exams/cleanings at my dentist is cheaper than the amount my employer had been taking out of my paychecks for the "insurance". And there are deductibles and co-insurance for any additional procedures. For me, it doesn't make sense to buy this "insurance" anymore, and during the upcoming open-enrollment period, I will be declining it.

Might be backwards for you, but for the insurance company(*), it's quite forwards

(*) "Turning consumers into dependable cash flows since 19xx".

many humans brute knows effectively have "new phone every year insurance"^^

in hindsight, everything seems easy...

I pay for dental insurance but my wife also gets dental insurance for "free" as a government employee. My dentist will split any cost across both insurance so I pay little to zero for crowns, fillings, etc.