Oral hygiene is an important part of living healthy. By brushing and flossing your teeth on a regular basis will help prevent medical problems in the future. Seeing a dentist is also a must, at least once or twice a year. We need to be responsible when it comes to taking care of our teeth, not so much for a beautiful smile, but for our health as well. Having a dental plan is one way to go about this.
With most dental plans, they cover you for going to the dentist once or twice a year for procedures such as, examinations, x-rays and cleaning. It pays to shop around when seeking a dental plan. Make sure you read and understand exactly what cost are theirs and which ones are yours. Check and see if the coverage that they are offering to you is going to satisfy you and your family’s needs.
One of the nice things about dental plans is the easy way that they provide peventative care for you and your family on a regular basis. Services such as, sealant treatments, x-rays, yearly examinations and twice a year cleanings are all expenses that the plan picks up.
Dental plans are not that expensive and they are usually paid for on a monthly payment plan or taken out of your paycheck weekly. It is better in the long run to take advantage of these plans, they could save you a lot of money and from having to bear the cost of more expensive treatments in the future.
Look for certain things when you are considering signing up for a dental plan. Corrective and preventative procedures and services are things you need to see as far as what they cover and what they don’t cover. One plan could save you a ton of money versus another plan. Knowing what coverage you have ahead of time can spare you a lot of grief if an emergency should come up.
When you view your coverage it will usually show percentages of the services that the insurance companies will pay, this is where you have to be aware because it’s not always that easy. The way these plans usually work is that what your dentist charges you and what the insurance company thinks that the charge should be can be two different amounts.
You may even get stuck paying more for your dental work than you originally thought it was going to cost you. Your reimbersment from the insurance company may even be lower than what the percentage of the procedure cost on the plan. This is something you should find out before having a costly procedure done.
It’s always wiser to choose a dentist that is on the plan that you get or you may wind up going to a dentist that doesn’t take that insurance plan. You may even get a dentist that does take your plan, but they haven’t been approved by your insurance company.
Your final costs can vary substantially from one dentist to another and the same goes for your reimbursement from your carrier. If you like a certain dentist that you have been using, then find out from them what insurance companies they take.
Some carriers are not that generous when it comes to covering items such as oral surgery or orthodontics and also any kind of special services. You can usually expect to pay up to half the amount that the dentist charges for these procedures. Again, it is important to view the coverage of your plan so that when the bill comes, you won’t be shocked.
The services and treatments that you will want to look at on the plan that you are considering would involve things like:
- Fillings and crowns
- Prosthodontics (bridges and dentures)
- Orthodontics (braces and retainers)
- Endodontics (root canals)
- Oral Surgery (extractions)
- Periodontics (gum care)
Check first to see if these procedures are covered, then see how much you are going to have to pay out of your pocket. You may also want to see if there is a yearly limit on what is being covered. If you know that a certain kind of dental work is going to be expensive, talk to your dentist about a payment plan or financing. Most them understand people’s situations and are willing to work with their patients.
Dental insurance is a nice thing to have, it allows a person to take care of their teeth without the high cost of office visits. There is nothing complicated about using dental plans and they are reasonably priced.
Not taking care of your teeth can turn into a nightmare of expenses, it is also not good for you health as there are a host of medical problems that can arise from poor oral hygiene. You will find that dental plans are not that expensive and should fit into your budget nicely.