Dental insurance in America is an absolute scam – Help needed

I just got back from a periodontist’s office and was quoted about $15,000 for necessary work. I will need an extraction, bone graft, another surgery to bring my gum level down, two implants, and two final crowns. On top of this I also need Invisalign as my teeth have shifted over the years and once you get implants, they cannot be moved.

I would be happy to pay for the orthodontia at around $5,000 (that is to be somewhat expected), but I am not exactly sure how to cover the other $15,000 in major dental work. Am I supposed to just suck it up and pay for this out of pocket? The periodontist says all funds are due at the time of the procedures. I can throw it all on a credit card, but their office does not offer payment plans. I called a few others in my area and this is apparently pretty standard.

I am self employed and figured I would just buy the best possible dental PPO insurance plan I could find. Little did I know they are all terrible. I can’t believe California dental plans still have $1,500 annual / lifetime maximums. These are the same maximum amounts these plans had 40 years ago when dental insurance was created! No increases for inflation? I am realizing that if you live in America, you are basically fucked here when you are in a situation like mine. It looks like if you need major work like myself, nice teeth are only available to the top 1-2% of wage earners which is tragic.

I would be happy to purchase ANY type of insurance to cover some of this, but once you subtract the premiums from the annual maximums, you are left with very little benefit overall. How is it possible that we allow the insurance industry to be run this way? I don’t get it. ANY advice is appreciated here. My periodontist says they are only in-network with Delta Dental and their plans for individuals like myself are severely lacking as mentioned above. Is there any sort of coverage I can get to cover this work or am I basically screwed here?