Yeah, came here to say this. Dental and eye insurance are both a bit scammy, in my experience.

OP, I'd start with finding a good dentist and getting their opinion on what is most important to do now vs what can wait a little bit. I don't think it's uncommon for dentists to offer lower prices for out-of-pocket payments rather than trying to go through insurance, and I do think a fair amount of places offer in-house payment plans. The insurance racket is kind of a nightmare for them, too, from my understanding.