Dental school clinic vs. dental insurance?

I am going to need quite a bit of work done since I am terrified of the dentist and haven't been in about 8 years. I know I will need many fillings and at least one crown...and probably more stuff.





I am probably going to go to the UCSF dental school clinic were they say they charge about half of what a private dentist's office will charge. They also way that they accept most dental insurance.


I was thinking about getting Delta Dental or something like that before, but is it worth it to get dental insurance if the dental school prices are already discounted?


And what is the difference between a dental discount plan and dental insurance?





Has anyone had work done at the UCSF dental school clinic?


Will they sedate you if you ask? (I'm scared!)





Sorry for so many questions.


I've never had to do this before...I'm so confused!

Dental school clinic vs. dental insurance?
A lot of these questions will be best answered by the people at the dental clinic. I'm not sure what the dental discount plan is they offer, but the folks in the business office can explain that to you. The insurance might be worth the investment, since it will pay a portion of the cost, for repairs and such that are covered. That will mean less out of your pocket at the end of the day, and may mean you can afford a crown as opposed to the extraction for instance. I've had plenty of dental work done at dental school clinics, some of the most advanced care at that. I have enamel hypoplasia, and most of my teeth were either malformed or missing, something most regular dentists only read about when in school and don't see a lot of in practice. So a dental school means I have access to the real experts at the cutting edge of things. The student dentists are supervised carefully, and the professors are always at hand to step in if needed. And yes, you can be sedated if it's needed. Student dentists have to learn that procedure as well, so it is done. You just have to arrange that at the clinic. As far as your fears, well- dentist get pretty accustomed to not being the most popular people around and they are not surprised when you are afraid. To be honest, I always found the student dentists to be a little more sympathetic about it. For one thing, they are still excited about their career, and have the time to be patient with you. They don't have to be concerned about things like the office overhead cost, or squeezing in all the patients they can to cover the payroll. Your care is really the only thing they have to be concerned about. So I say go for it. Talk to the business office about costs, see an insurance agent about a policy, and talk with your dentist there at the clinic. I'm sure you won't find the experience to be nearly as traumatic as you dread. It might not be the most fun you ever had, but it shouldn't be any where close to the worst experience either.