Open Enrollment - Dental for LO?

thespianlawyer · October 2012

I was just wondering at what age you added your LO to your dental (or vision) plan. It's open enrollment at work right now, and I just realized that I have no idea when kids start seeing the dentist. I'm assuming that I don't need to add DD to my dental plan yet, since she'll only be 1 year and a half by the end of next year, but let me know if that assumption is wrong. Thanks!

runrinserepeat · October 2012

Open enrollment for us will be when DD is about a year old. I'm planning on adding her then. IDK how practical it'll be, but I'll feel better knowing she's covered.

July18Bride · October 2012

Our pedi checks DS teeth at his wellness visits, but now that he is two I may add him and take him in the next year for his first official dentist check up. They say between 2-3 yrs old I have heard.

aglenn · October 2012

We took DD to the dentist for the first time when she was 2, but some recommend taking them as soon as they have the first tooth. You can ask your pediatrician what he/she thinks.

For vision, I still haven't taken DD but there are some pediatric vision exams that we've been told she should have. We just haven't gotten around to it yet.

Amaryllis619 · October 2012

I added DD to our dental plan for this year, and planning on taking her in the next few weeks.

I don't plan on adding her to our vision plan yet, as she doesn't seem to have a need for that. If there were indications that she did, I would add her too.

BabyCsMomma · October 2012

We're waiting a while to add him, since the insurance will cost more than the visit. DS will go for his first cleaning in April, but we'll pay cash.

MrsWindyCity · October 2012

We added him in 2011 and took him to the dentist that year, when he was 1. The AAPD rec for the first dental visit is 1, which we followed. Even if you don't it's not a bad idea to have it in case of a chipped tooth or whatever.

1026pumpkin · October 2012

Our pedi checks teeth at every well visit and said we really didn't need to see the dentist until 2-3 years. Since adding him would be pretty pricey and we were unlikely to use it, we figured we'd just pay cash if he needed it before 2 (hasn't). We're adding him during open enrollment this year and he'll be a little over 2 when we bring him in for the first time.

We also didn't get vision for him....just medical/pharmacy benefits.

jlaOK · October 2012

Our dentist starts seeing kids at age 3. We'll add DS this year and I already have him scheduled to go with me during my next cleaning in April.

If I were you, I'd wait until the 2014 plan year.

KathrynMD · October 2012

We started taking DD earlier this year, when she was over 3. The dentist told us they generally recommend starting cleanings when they get their first teeth, but he said they don't see too many kids before their 2nd birthday either unless there's a serious problem.

Most pediatricians will check for cavities when tehy do well visits and refer you as needed for younger LOs.

bearkatjen · October 2012

DS got added to dental at three years, and vision at four years. I would have added him to vision at 3 years, but forgot. Our optometrist has a program where he sees infants at certain age for free, so DS has at least had that. He will have his first vision appointment in Jan.

jnealet · October 2012

I added D1 when she was about 1.5 but she didn't go to the dentist until she was almost 3. I just got it for her in case she fell and hurt a tooth. D2 was added when she was born but we already had the family dental, so it didn't cost anything extra to add her.

jf198400 · October 2012

DD turned 2 in August, I will add her onto dental starting in January.

honeybee111 · October 2012

I seem to be an exception, but I added DD at birth when I added her to my health insurance. She was born in Jan., and my HR recommended that I add her just in case she chipped a tooth before the next open enrollment. Apparently, that happened to my coworker's baby and he wasn't covered yet. It cost her in the thousands to fix.

jamiedsgirl · October 2012

So far, our vision appointments have been billed under medical.

I took DS to the dentist at 1 and have been going every six months since.

orangetulips12 · October 2012

I am a dentist and I'm currently in my last year of residency to be a pediatric dentist.The current guidelines are first dental visit around 1st birthday or within 6 months after the first tooth comes in.

Many older 'general dentists' or family dentists are not aware that the 1st birthday guideline has been around for 15 years.

Please, please do not assume your pediatrician is evaluating your child's teeth. It is rare to find a pediatricians who have been educated in examining teeth for cavities.

Unfortunately, every day I see children as young as 1-1.5 years old with cavities. Also, many, many children have trauma to their teeth, particularly as toddlers when they are beginning to walk/run.

Please check out the american academy of pediatric dentistry website to look for a pediatric dentist in your area. www.aapd.org

groovygrl · October 2012

We didn't until two and Ds did chip a tooth at one..When it happened I was like uhhhh no insurance but he didn't need anything anyway, my dentists hygienist took a look plus our pedi and I work in healthcare and we all felt it was fine and it was(didnt require extraction which is all theyd do at that age i believe). However, it was a risk for sure. I am aware of the one yr recs but did not take them til 2 1/2, mostly bc they literally had two teeth at age one, and while I know little ones can get cavities I felt very comfortable in my knowledge and understanding of oral care and prevention... But I still prob should have taken them by two, it was just a crazy time where MH was living in a different state and we were moving etc. oh well.

Pay dd sees a ped ophthalmologist and we do not have vision for her, the visits are covered, tho I am not sure what would happen if she needed glasses, I would prob pay for the first pair and then enroll at open enrollment.

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