A dental hygienist is viral on TikTok after explaining how some dental insurance works—and why it might not be as beneficial as you think.
In a video posted by @drbradysmith on Nov. 22, the TikToker claims that dental insurance is nothing more than a coupon that covers a certain percentage of each procedure, depending on the plan.
“It’s a coupon. That’s it. It’s just a coupon,” he says. “The reason it’s confusing is because it doesn’t work like medical insurance works.”
He provides an example of how dental insurance differs from medical insurance, which usually has a deductible or a maximum out-of-pocket amount.
“One example is you say, ‘I have $2,000 of benefits for the year. My dental insurance says so.’ That’s true. However, it’s not the first $2,000. That’s not how it works,” he says. “You come in for a crown, it’s $1,000. They say we pay 50%. So you pay $500. They pay $500. Now you’ve used $500 of your $2,000. So you still have $1,500 that the insurance will pay as long as it’s part of this coupon system.”
@drbradysmith Qpon or koo-pon? No idea.
♬ original sound – Drbrady
The video has amassed over 147,000 views and more than 6300 likes as well as hundreds of comments from viewers agreeing with TikToker.
“But we don’t pay for coupons,” one of them wrote.
“And then they max u out for the year and…..no more coupons,” a second commenter said.
“And the more serious of a dental procedure you need, the lower the percentage they pay. If you need major reconstruction: zero coverage,” a third added.
However, not everyone was in consensus, as some commenters contradicted the claims of the TikToker, and others shared that they were happy with their dental coverage.
“the dental insurance I have with my employer is crazy good… no deductible, covers everything 100%, no maximum yearly limit and lifetime max is $100k,” one commenter claimed.
“Mine pays 100% with a yearly cap,” a second remarked.
“I know this isn’t a popular opinion but dental work is a luxury with or without insurance!” one more added.
The Daily Dot has reached out to @drbradysmith via TikTok direct messages for comment.
