Thoughts about dental costs in Canada

As part of my job I have insurance which is around 50% paid by me and 50% by my employer. So $2500 gets deducted a year from my net salary for insurance that covers myself and my fiance. I suppose in total RBC gets $5000 a year in premiums related to my insurance. In return I and my spouse get coverage for dental, opticians, physiotherapy, mental health therapists, other private medical services not provided by the public health care system in Canada.

In Canada if I go to a doctor or the hospital and get referred to a cardiologist or dermatologist or other specialist all or almost all of the cost is covered by the public system as a result of our taxes. If I break my leg or have a surgery it's covered and this gives me so much peace of mind. I am fully in support of public healthcare. Health is wealth and your life expectancy and survival ethically shouldn't be determined by whether you can afford the bill or not. Medical treatment should be provided to people who need it.

This is context for non Canadians I suppose.

My receipt of today's dental work.

Anyway back to the dentist appointment, it was great today to get 3 fillings and have 0 cost I had to pay because the majority of dentist costs for 2025 are covered depending on the procedure. But when I exceed the plan maximum for 2025 , I think 2,500 per insured person the rest of costs relating to dental will be paid by me. Getting charged $951 in 1 appointment means that within a short space of time I will exceed the plans coverage. I have another $1,000 cost next week for a wisdom tooth removal. I think both the cost of dentistry should be lower and the insurance coverage should be higher but I understand this is capitalism and they gotta make profit. Also dentists have long training and are highly qualified at what they do so they deserve to be paid accordingly.

In an ideal world if I pay insurance it's full coverage and peace of mind with nothing out of pocket. But maybe the policy cost would be insane if that was the case.

In 2024 I deferred recommended dental treatment until January because I had already exceeded the plan coverage and by waiting until January I saved 2500 at least. I wonder if it's in my best interest to pay out of pocket to avoid the decay getting worse. I only delay the treatment if I'm not in pain but again this year I have an appointment scheduled for April that costs $2000 for a crown and I think I will wait until January 2026 to save some of the cost. It's weird situation to be in to have a treatment recommended and a financial incentive to defer it. It could be worse I suppose as I'm sure others can tell me.

Also if you are in Vancouver, BC I can definitely recommend my dentist, they are an excellent clinic for someone as anxious as me. They have 4.9 stars after over 1000 reviews.

City Square Dental
https://maps.app.goo.gl/CfNKJZt7VexjputL9