Why You Should Never Skip Dental Insurance

While most people recognize the importance of regularly cleaning and checking their teeth, many individuals simply can’t afford to see a dentist for routine exams. Although many employers offer dental insurance, a significant amount don’t. If you don’t currently have dental insurance, you really should rethink your situation. Individual plans are available for people who are self-employed or who are not provided with insurance by their employer, and you may be surprised by how affordable these options are. Still unconvinced? Here are some major reasons why you should always ensure you have dental insurance.

The Advantages of Dental Insurance

An individual dental policy costs an average of just $350 a year. However, these plans will have some form of deductibles in place, which means that you will need to fund a percentage of the cost of care yourself. You may also encounter additional out-of-pocket expenses, including co-insurance, co-payments, and the cost of treatment that exceeds that included in the dental plan.

Most dental insurance plans operate according to a ‘100-80-50’ billing approach. According to this rule, cleaning services, x-rays, fluoride treatments, sealants, exams are 100% covered by the plan once the deductible has been met; fillings and other remedial services are 80% covered by the plan, and major treatment, such as crowns, are 50% covered by the plan.

The type of services that you can expect to contribute between 20% and 50% to the cost of treatment are as follows:

• Root canals
• Bridges
• Emergency treatment
• Tooth extractions
• Cavity fillings
• Periodontal treatment
• Anesthesia

Dental Insurance Choices

Before signing up for a dental insurance plan, you should make sure that you fully research the options that are available. Identify several plans and then compare and contrast them in terms of important features such as the number of dentists who operate within the network covered by the plan, the waiting time for various services, the maximum coverage, and level of deductibles. You may wish to start your research with the five most popular insurers:

• AARP
• Aetna
• Cigna
• Delta Dental
• MetLife