Help! My dentist just dropped my insurance…

Today’s reader question: 

“Help! My dentist just dropped Delta Dental. I finally found a dentist I trust, and now they won’t take my insurance. What am I supposed to do?”

If your dentist drops your insurance, you might actually still be able to see them.

And before you assume they’re putting profits ahead of patients, I want to explain something most people don’t know about dental insurance…

I was in private practice in Northern California for nearly 40 years, and I can tell you that running a dental practice is expensive.

Insurance companies negotiate how much dentists can charge, but they don’t negotiate down the dentist’s rent, staff salaries, lab fees, or equipment costs.

When those expenses keep rising but insurance reimbursement doesn’t keep pace, dentists can reach a point where they’re barely breaking even—or actually losing money—on certain procedures.

That’s why so many dentists are reconsidering their relationships with insurance companies.

Not to mention, every denied claim, additional document request, and follow-up call costs the practice time and money.

I would actually rate Delta Dental as worse for dentistry than private equity. That’s how strongly I feel about it.

I don’t believe dental insurance functions like real insurance. Traditional insurance is supposed to protect you from major, unexpected expenses. Most dental plans operate more like limited prepaid benefits, with annual maximums, exclusions, and restrictions on what they’ll pay. 

In my view, the whole arrangement has become a racket. You’re paying for something called insurance, but you may discover just how little protection you have when you need expensive dental care.

This isn’t just dentists complaining about getting paid. The U.S. Department of Justice has previously sued Delta Dental organizations over anticompetitive practices, including restrictions that prevented dentists from offering patients discounts. In a lawsuit filed in December 2025, patients accused Delta Dental of misleading them about out-of-network coverage, leaving them with higher bills than expected.

In June 2026, California lawmakers unanimously approved an audit of the state’s Delta Dental contract after employees and retirees reported difficulty finding dentists who accept their coverage, inadequate benefits, and rising out-of-pocket costs. The audit will examine why dentists are leaving the network and whether the state’s dental coverage is delivering adequate value to the 600,000 employees, retirees, and dependents it serves.

But I don’t want you to get lost in the legal fight. What should you do if your dentist drops Delta Dental?

First, don’t assume you need to find a new dentist.

Leaving the network doesn’t necessarily mean your dentist stops accepting patients who have your insurance.

In fact, when I left Delta, I continued treating patients with Delta coverage. Some left initially, but they eventually came back.

Here’s what I recommend:

1. Call your dentist before you cancel your next appointment.

Ask: “Are you still seeing patients with Delta Dental, even though you’re no longer in-network?” You may be surprised by the answer.

2. Find out whether your plan covers out-of-network care.

If you have a Delta Dental PPO plan, you can generally continue seeing your dentist and receive some reimbursement. But not every plan works this way. DeltaCare USA and certain other plans generally don’t cover routine care outside their networks. Call the number on your insurance card and ask: “What are my out-of-network benefits?”

3. Ask what you’ll actually pay.

This is the most important step. Don’t just ask whether your insurance covers 80% of a procedure. That percentage may apply to an amount set by your insurer, not what your dentist actually charges. Ask your dentist’s office for an estimate of your total out-of-pocket cost, after any expected insurance reimbursement. You might pay more. You might find the difference is manageable. But get the numbers before making a decision.

4. Ask whether your dentist will still submit your claims.

Some out-of-network dentists will continue filing insurance claims for you, just as I did.

Others may ask you to pay upfront and submit your own claim for reimbursement. Know how your office handles this before your appointment.

5. If you get dental benefits through work, talk to HR.

Ask whether your employer offers another dental plan with better access to your dentist or better out-of-network benefits. If your current plan doesn’t offer out-of-network benefits, ask HR when your next enrollment period begins so you can explore switching to a plan that lets you keep seeing your dentist. And if enough employees are unhappy with their dental coverage, make that known when it’s time for benefits renewal.

Running a dental practice costs money. Your dentist needs to pay skilled staff, maintain equipment, use quality materials, and spend enough time with you to deliver the care you deserve.

I worry about what happens when insurance reimbursement puts pressure on all of those things…

Of course, affordability matters. But if you’ve found a dentist you trust, who knows your history, takes the time to listen, and practices the kind of dentistry you believe in, don’t walk away simply because their contract with an insurance company has ended.

If you’re constantly getting new cavities or dealing with bleeding gums, wouldn’t you rather have a dentist who takes the time to figure out why?

That’s what I believe good dentistry should look like. Not just treating the next cavity, but helping you prevent the next one.

You might pay more for an appointment with an out-of-network dentist. But if that dentist helps you prevent repeated problems and unnecessary treatment, that investment will pay off over time.

P.S. For those asking about my personal oral care routine, here it is below…

Oral Care

• Fygg toothpaste (which I helped formulate)
• Oil pulling blend (instead of mouthwash)
• Silk floss
• Tongue scraper (I prefer stainless steel)
• Throat spray

Supplements

• Magnesium: Gum and bone support
• Zinc: Gum tissue repair
• D3 + K2: Calcium absorption + regulation
• CoQ10: Gum support

Drinks

• Green tea: Helps reduce cavity-causing acids
• Electrolytes: Support saliva’s ability to remineralize