The high costs associated with dental care have led many people to avoid the dentist. Unfortunately, this isn’t the best decision for your oral health. Regular appointments with a dentist are crucial for your teeth. Dental insurance can make paying for dental care easier for you and your family. That being said, not all dental insurance plans are created equal, so seeking out the differences between plans is an important step when you begin shopping for dental insurance.
Today, Advanced Indiana will be telling you five things you should know about dental insurance. From which plans are typically the most affordable to tips to finding the best dental coverage for you and your family, this article will answer all of your major questions. Let’s get started!
Employer-Based Coverage is Typically the Most Affordable Choice
When it comes to saving money on your dental insurance (something we all want to do), it’s important that you know which plans are typically the most affordable. As it turns out, employer-based coverage is usually the most affordable choice. With employer-based coverage, employers pool their resources in order to obtain less costly coverage. For this reason, you should be sure to check out your company’s potential offerings before shopping for dental insurance on your own. It could end up saving you a lot of money!
Most Dental Insurance Plans Cover Preventative Care
As important as they are, annual checkups or six-month checkups can be very costly if you aren’t covered by a dental insurance plan. These checkups generally include a cleaning, a visual inspection from your dentist, and x-rays on an annual basis. Unfortunately, with all these services, you can sometimes be expected to pay up to $200 for a preventative care visit if you don’t have dental insurance!
Most dental insurance plans cover 100% of the cost of preventative care. Some, however, may only cover up to 60%. When purchasing your own dental insurance plan, make sure that all preventative care fees are included. This is an important consideration to make as preventative care visits are what help you to avoid more costly appointments with your dentist in the future!
Basic Restorative Care Coverage is Crucial
With most dental insurance plans, 80% of the cost of fillings, re-cementing of crowns and bridges, and extractions are covered, leaving you to pay the remaining 20% of the cost yourself. This potentially means huge savings for you and truly displays the power of having a good dental insurance plan. Keep in mind, however, that most dental plans will only cover amalgam (silver) fillings and not composite (tooth-colored) fillings. This means that if you want to avoid metal fillings, there could be some additional costs for you.
Corrective Services May Not Be Included in Your Dental Plan
If you find that you need braces or other orthodontic services, it is best to consider buying a rider policy. This is the best choice if the plan that you are considering does not cover corrective services (unfortunately, many do not). Rider policies are typically no more than a few additional dollars per month and may cover up to 50% of the cost of corrective services. Always keep this in mind when shopping for your own dental insurance plan!
Dental Insurance Plans Have Waiting Periods
Finally, it should be noted that while dental insurance plans can save you a whole lot of money, it’s a bad idea to save up all of your dental work for the first month after purchasing your plan. This is because, typically, while preventative care visits are covered immediately (or within 30 days), basic restorative services may not be covered until after 3 months and major restorative services may not be covered until after 6 months. Even at that point, you’ll want to check how much your policy covers during a set calendar year because some policies may only cover a few services per year.
It should also be noted that most dental insurance plans must remain in effect for at least one year. For this reason, it isn’t realistic to simply purchase a dental plan to quickly cover the cost of a few crowns you just found out that you need. This, however, is actually beneficial to you as the policyholder since you want to be vigilant about your oral health not only now but for years to come.
Advanced Indiana For All Your Dental Needs!
Now that you know five important things you should understand about dental insurance, it’s time to get your own policy so you can afford to keep up with your oral health! At Advanced Indiana, we know that many people rely on dental insurance to pay for their dental needs. That’s why we accept most major dental insurances.
We will be happy to explain your dental benefits to you, answer any and all of your questions, and file dental claims for you so that you can get the most out of your benefits. Costs should never keep you from getting the dental care that you deserve! Contact our office today to learn more by calling us at (765) 622-7000 or by requesting an appointment online!