For as far as I know the -D method also pushes DNS requests through the SSH tunnel. I'm currently living in a residence with unstable and restricted internet access. Sometimes the router here starts failing (no longer handing out IP's or processing DNS requests) and simply setting a manual ip and connecting to my server at home (using the ssh -D method) allows me to freely browse the internet (and chat, ...) again.
This must be the most real-use example/proof you can get, I guess

Edit: Thanks for the full guide btw, I'm sure it will be helpful to a lot of people!