Find Affordable Dental Coverage

Why Do You Need Dental Insurance?

Dental insurance is about more than a pretty smile.

Good oral health can help reduce the risk of dental problems in the future that can be painful as well as expensive to treat. Given the number of inexpensive dental plans available across the nation, getting coverage makes sense for your finances as well as your health and wellness.

How Do Dental Plans Work?

Dental plans have many similarities to traditional health insurance but also some significant differences. Like medical insurance, dental insurance charges a monthly premium for the plan's benefits. These benefits often come with a minor deductible amount that needs to be paid out-of-pocket before the plan begins sharing in the costs of covered dental procedures. However, some plans have waiting periods that delay the coverage of certain services for a time period after you enroll and your plan becomes active. Often dental services that have waiting periods are for more expensive procedures such as crowns or root canals. If you have some dental care you need in the near future and you are shopping for a dental plan, be certain to review the Summary of Benefits to make certain that the care you need is eligible for coverage immediately.

Best Practices When Shopping for Dental Insurance

You care about your teeth so you should care about the way you shop for dental coverage. Don't consider the monthly premium alone. Instead you should examine plans available in your area to see:

• What dental services are covered by the plan
• If your dentist accepts the coverage
• What cap there is on the plan's payments toward your annual dental costs
• How much out-of-pocket costs are charged for the dental services you expect to use (as well as the services that might be needed unexpectedly)
• How does the plan deal with situations where you want care from an out-of-network dentist