PM
INSURANCE
Dental Patients
While many employers offer dental insurance, it often fails to cover major dental
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cal insurance.
Take the case of Sherry, a 61-year-old New York resident who was diagnosed with
breast cancer. Sherry needed surgery and radiation treatments which lasted over
three years. Her treatments led to many further health issues: loss of weight, impaired
ability to chew and swallow, pain, dry mouth, decay and so much more.
In an email to me, Sherry wrote: “A volunteer from the Cancer Institute came to
support with recommendations of where to get a wig, support groups, nutritionists
and other care…but never mentioned dental.” Sherry went on to tell me that the
damage to her oral cavity and the burning pain in her mouth were harder and more
painful to bear than the actual cancer treatments.
entire mouth is in pain?!” She even gave up going to the nutritionist, since it never
helped with the pain.
Finally, Sherry’s husband took her to her longtime dentist who told her that she
needed treatment for advanced periodontitis and would also require extractions
and implants. After three years of therapy with many copayments, deductibles and
unbearable. Sherry and her husband asked her dentist, “Can you bill to medical so
bill medical.
34 TPDMAG.COM | SPRING 2019
/TPDMAG.COM