A good dental insurance policy offers peace of mind because it insulates people from high dental work costs. It usually pays for all, or at least part of, preventative care and treatments like fillings, crowns, root canals and bridges. Many policies have certain exclusions for which the patient is completely liable. Pre-existing conditions are commonly included in this category.
Definition
A pre-existing condition is a dental problem that exists before your insurance policy takes effect. Many insurance plans will not pay to fix these conditions, the Journal of the American Dental Association explains. For example, if you are missing a tooth when your dental benefits start, the plan will not pay to replace the tooth.
Considerations
Some dental insurance plans will cover pre-existing conditions after a certain time period. For example, benefits might start after 12 months. Some policies will pay full benefits after the waiting period, while others pay at a reduced level. The Journal of the American Dental Association states that many plans offer limited benefits for expensive procedures even if they are not related to a pre-existing condition. Benefits may be as low as 50 percent of the procedure, and some plans make you pay a deductible before benefits start.
Financing
Some pre-existing conditions need to be treated before they get worse. For example, a cracked tooth needs to be repaired or crowned quickly. Otherwise the damage can spread and potentially cause loss of the tooth. Crowns cost several hundred dollars, and other procedures can cost thousands. Some dentists will work out a payment plan for you. Many partner with finance companies that focus on loans for dental procedures, according to the Dental Resources website. This provides an option for people who cannot pay the entire cost up front or charge it on an existing credit card account.
Alternatives
There are some alternatives to dental insurance that make treatment of pre-existing conditions more affordable. For example, dental discount plans offer discounted work as long as it is done by a participating dentist. These plans start at about $80 per year, according to DentalPlans.com, and they usually don't exclude discounts for pre-existing conditions.
Dental Fear Central explains that discounted work is also available at many universities with dental schools. Their students work on patients in low-cost university-run clinics to gain practice before they graduate.
Warning
Anyone with a pre-existing condition who is considering signing up for dental insurance should read the plan documents very carefully. Pre-existing condition exclusions and other important information might be buried deep in the fine print. Do not sign an insurance contract without reviewing all the pertinent information.
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