WHY IS DENTAL INSURANCE BECOMING A NECESSITY? – ELITE DENTAL CARE TRACY

Over time as technology has advanced, the treatments have become less painful and time-saving. It is possible to treat any dental ailment and restore the teeth. Technologies like laser, magnification and illumination have made things convenient, but they have added to the costs. When tooth decay is detected and treated at an early stage, it is treated quickly without spending much. But when it prolongs, the following treatment procedures add up huge figures to your dental bills.

Owing to the costs, people hesitate to get their dental ailments treated. A misconception prevails that a dental issue does no harm to the body, and hence one can try bearing with it instead of spending dollars to get it treated. Hardly they do realize that if the dental issues are left unattended, the bacterial infection could extend to other internal parts of the body. The interior of the teeth is connected to the nerves of the ear and parts of the brain as well. This makes it necessary to treat the oral issues at the earliest.

And if the underlying concern is the huge dental bills, there’s nothing much to worry. These days you can avail for dental insurance which will cover your dental treatment expenses. If you’re an employee, there’s a possibility that your company arranges for your dental insurance.

Still, it has been surveyed that one in four Americans do not have dental insurance and those over 65, have no coverage as per the reports of National Association of Dental Plans(NADP). So, for those who do not have dental insurance, you need not worry. We have got your back! A detailed step-by-step procedure is here on how to avail dental insurance.

Why is it necessary to have dental insurance?

You might be having efficient dental health with no major issues, and you only visit the dentist for your regular check-ups, cleaning and x-ray. In such a case, your insurance premiums would cost more than what you would likely pay for these regular check-ups. So, people generally feel that dental insurance is not necessary.

But not all days are the same. There may be a time when your dentist might detect decay in your tooth and go for a couple of fillings, root canal and placing crowns. Now if you don’t have insurance, you might end up spending much.
Also when people take up insurance, they visit the dentist regularly for check-ups and dental cleaning to make the most of their premiums. It helps them detect any dental issue at an early stage and prevent it from becoming a bigger issue.

With most of the dental insurance plans, preventive care is covered 100%, and this also encourages people to visit the dentist regularly. Even the symptoms of some deadly health disorders can be found in the mouth, and hence if these are detected earlier, major health disorders can be prevented.

How to select a dental insurance plan?

• If you’re taking up dental insurance individually from a private insurance company, you have to be careful that you don’t spend unnecessarily. Sometimes your premiums might cost more than what the regular treatment would have cost you in case of minor ailments. For this, it’s necessary to study all the dental insurance plans and compare the dental plans of a couple of insurance companies to get better knowledge.
• If you visit a dentist regularly, you can consult with him/her on which dental insurance plan will be appropriate for you. The dentist would have a better understanding of your dental condition and hence will suggest the best plan that suits your requirement.
• Additionally, a dentist might also be associated with an insurance provider and can help you get a policy at better rates and discounts.
• Some plans do not cover pre-existing disorders like replacing a missing tooth or deep fillings. So make a complete study of the plan to find if it covers pre-existing conditions and how much would it add to your pocket.
• Check out the waiting period for every plan and choose accordingly. A few dental plans have a waiting period of three to six months and hence do not wait for an emergency to occur but get your insurance done beforehand.

What are the common dental insurance plans?

There are a few common private dental insurance plans as follows.

• The plan called Dental Health Maintenance Organization(DHMO) has a limit on the dentists you can visit and get the treatment to receive coverage from. But there is no limit on dental services that you have in a year and also has the lowest premiums.
• The plan Dental Preferred Provider Organization(DPPO) pay your more if you visit the dentist mentioned in the plan’s list and contrastingly, pays you less when you visit a dentist from outside the list. These require higher premiums and have a maximum amount limit on the dental services that your plan will pay for each year.
• The third is the Dental Indemnity Insurance which requires you to pay the highest premium but give you the liberty to be treated from any dentist of your choice. As per this plan, after the claim is paid, you have to pay the bill for the remaining balance.
• Direct Reimbursement plan is something different from the above-mentioned plans. It is a self-funded plan where you have to pay all the dental expenses out of your pocket and then present a receipt of the bill to the insurance provider. They will reimburse you a percentage of the total dental bills.

You can discuss with your dentist and select the plan that best matches your requirements and save your pocket. You must maintain good oral hygiene to ensure that emergency conditions do not arise and also do not compromise on your regular dental check-ups. If you have missed your dental check-up, visit the Elite Dental Care for a cost-effective check-up.