Dental Care Secrets

Dental insurance is a big blessing if you have it; however there are things you need to know before you feel you can get any dental procedure done for free.

Dental insurance is unlike medical insurance in many ways. Firstly, it usually has a deductible and co-pay while many health insurance plans like HMO’s do not. Secondly, dental insurance does not cover each and every kind of procedure, especially if you are interested in cosmetic treatments like teeth whitening, veneers, implants or the like.

Insurance vs. Discount Cards

Dental insurance is also different from a discount card which many companies try to sell you on and offline. Signature Dental, for instance, is not dental insurance. It is a discount card accepted by many dentists across the nation and which gives you fixed discounts, depending on the procedure being performed. Be aware that you usually cannot use them in conjunction with dental insurance; it is an either-or situation.

For instance, if you need to have a filling and you do not have dental insurance, then a discount plan might be able to save you a little money. You can enroll with the discount dental program for an annual fee of around $50 (or look for a 30 day money back guarantee) and then save each time you visit a participating dentist. If the dentist accepts the discount plan (and always make sure in advance that they do) then if for instance fillings cost $100, you might have to pay $70 to the dentist instead.

With dental insurance, the scenario is a little different. You pay a monthly premium to the insurance company and then you are provided with a list of what is included and at what rate. Most dental insurance companies offer free routine check ups twice a year. If yours doesn’t, shop around because many do. If however, the dentist notices something that needs to be checked out further, he may order x-rays and deep cleaning or fillings and root canals.

If that is the case, refer to your insurance booklet and see what percentage is covered by the dental insurance company. For example, they could say that cleanings are free, covered at 100 percent, fillings covered at 80 percent and extractions at 50 percent.

Make a List and Check it Twice

It may seem like more work now, but it is always better to ask more questions than to ask too few. If you find you need fillings done, ask your dental insurance company and the dentist’s office which fillings are included at the discounted rate. Double check with both parties, as often dental insurance websites are not updated with current information or dentist’s offices may have made unannounced changes due to complications with previous policies.