It is important to your overall health to take care of your teeth, and dental insurance can help with the costs associated with routine dental care and problems you may have. Many people avoid going to dentists because they fear the cost involved. Dental insurance is separate from medical insurance, and if you don't have a dental plan that is paid through your insurance at work, you will have to decide if it is beneficial for you to purchase one.
Expenses Paid
The primary purpose of dental insurance is to help you pay a portion of your dental expenses. There are limits of fees covered per service and overall annual limits for the policy so you will still have out-of-pocket costs at each visit. According to the Consumer Guide to Dentistry website, costs vary from $300 for routine dental work per year up to as much as $25,000 for more extensive repair work. Most insurance plans will pay the dentist directly, though there are reimbursement plans that pay the expenses covered directly to you.
Preventive Care
Routine dental services such as checkups, cleanings and X-rays are scheduled on your insurance policy in terms of how many visits per year are covered and the specific number of X-rays or other services that are paid annually. Your insurance plan will list the procedures, typical costs and exactly what amounts will be paid. There may be a waiting period until you can have certain procedures paid for, since insurance companies do not want you to start a plan in order to get immediate services and then cancel the insurance.
Repair Costs
Procedures to repair teeth such as fillings, root canals and crowns are covered under dental insurance plans, though there are limitations on both costs and materials. For example, the substance used for a tooth filling may be optional under one plan but limited to a certain material under another plan. If you choose a material that is not preferred, you may have to pay the difference in cost.
Cosmetic
Dental services such as whitening, veneers and orthodontics are considered cosmetic procedures and are typically not covered by most dental insurance plans. The Consumer Guide to Dentistry website states that the reason for the procedure could qualify a portion of the costs to be covered by insurance, and this would be determined on an individual basis. There are options with some plans to include a portion of cosmetic-related coverage in the dental insurance policy.
Choose Provider
You should be aware that some dental insurance plans require you to choose a dentist within their network. You may not be comfortable changing dentists or not having the freedom to choose your own. You can request that your dentist be approved by your dental insurance company, or that the dentist will participate if the option is available, but this can take time to get accomplished. Other plans will let you choose the dental provider that you prefer for ongoing treatment.
Considerations
If you exceed your dental insurance plan's coverage limits for the year, a benefit of having dental insurance is that your dentist may give you a discount on the services that exceed your limit. This is referred to as a negotiated fee, and the discount may not be as much as an insurance-covered discount, but it can help bring your out-of-pocket costs down.
