Dental Marketing and Practice Management

No Love Lost Between Dentists and Insurance Companies

In this poll, we asked dentists: As dentists, what’s your gut feeling about dental insurance companies – friend or foe?

Great balls of fire! It’s clear that dentists are not fans of insurance companies. Eighty-nine percent of dentists responded, “Foe. Insurance companies are in the business of looking out for themselves, not patients or doctors.” A mere 11% replied, “Friend. Dental insurance companies have expanded my practice and serve as an important marketing source for new patients.”

Specialists were even more likely to see insurance companies as enemies than general dentists. On the other hand, female dentists were more likely to see the insurance industry as a friend than were male dentists.

Here are some of the comments our dentists had to share:

• “Insurance companies are an unnatural intrusion into the purest relationship between two unrelated humans: care giver and receiver.”
• “Patients with dental insurance are much more likely to agree to a treatment plan.”
• “They are a necessary evil!”
• “Insurance companies actually seem to cost a practice money.”
• “Thieves without masks or guns.”
• “They are a large source of the income that I receive in my practice so in that sense they’re a ‘friend,’ but they’re in it solely for the money.”
• Post your own comments!

Read the full results.