Your oral health plays a major role in your overall well-being, so it’s important to get access to the dental care you need to keep your smile beautiful and infection-free. While shopping for dental insurance may seem quite daunting at first, making an informed decision can set you and your family up for many years of quality oral healthcare. Here’s a brief overview of a few things to keep in mind when comparing insurance plans.
Most Plans Have Preventive Care Covered
It’s generally far cheaper to prevent a problem rather than treat it, so dental insurance plans often encourage preventive care by covering it completely while covering restorative procedures at only about 50 to 80%. This incentivizes policyholders to keep their teeth in good health so they don’t have to worry about out-of-pocket expenses incurred by restorative treatments. However, this is only true for most plans, so it’s important to confirm what a policy covers before you invest in it.
Most Plans Don’t Cover Cosmetic Dentistry
To keep prices low for policyholders whose primary concern is keeping necessary dental care affordable, insurance plans rarely cover cosmetic dentistry. This means that you will likely have to pay out-of-pocket for aesthetic treatments like veneers, teeth whitening, and cosmetic dental bonding. However, a treatment like a veneer or a tooth-colored restoration may receive some coverage if it is used to repair a tooth that has been damaged by injury or decay.
Many Dental Plans Have Waiting Periods
While dental insurance can save you vast sums of money while keeping necessary oral healthcare affordable, there may be waiting periods imposed on certain services. While preventive care is typically covered immediately or within the first month, basic restorative work may only be recovered after three months and major restorative services may have to wait for six months. Your policy may also have limits on how many restorative procedures are covered each year.
Dental insurance can be a fantastic way to ensure that the oral healthcare you need remains within reach. By investing in the right plan, you can keep the smiles of yourself and your family in great condition for many years.
About the Author
Dr. Gary Chaffee earned his dental degree at the Loma Linda University School of Dentistry in 1975 and completed a two-year postgraduate program in progressive orthodontics. He is proud to be a member of the American Dental Association, the California Dental Association, and the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry. His office in Newbury Park offers services like preventive, restorative, and emergency dentistry, and he accepts many forms of insurance. To learn more, contact his office online or dial (805) 576-8157.