Dental Insurance

Maintaining good oral health is essential for children and adults of all ages. Nonetheless, due to the high expense of dental services, many people in the United States neglect their oral health. While dental costs without insurance can be ridiculously expensive, choosing dental coverage can help you better manage the costs of routine dental procedures, such as regular check-ups, cleanings, and x-rays, and detect dental problems early on, before they become more serious and costly treatment.

You can purchase dental insurance as a stand-alone policy or as an add-on to your health insurance plan. It’s also possible to supply the dental coverage you might have from a spouse’s employer with an additional plan. In such scenarios, one plan will be assigned as primary dental insurance. Whereas the other plan will be marked as secondary dental insurance. A secondary plan then will help with part of the leftover costs after the original plan pays out.

We offer several types of dental insurance policies from which to pick. While each has its own set of advantages, we’d like to provide you with an overview of each main type. Nevertheless, you should note that each type of plan has its breakdown of different categories of services it covers. Depending on the dental insurance plan and level of coverage you choose it can cover dental care expenses, such as preventive care, fillings, extractions, root canals, crowns, and some types of orthodontics treatment. However, coverage for procedures such as implants, veneers, and cosmetic dentistry may be limited or not covered at all. That’s why choosing any type of insurance always requires a closer look at your particular needs.

PPO Dental Plans

With a PPO dental plan, you can choose from a network of dentists. The plan will pay a percentage of the cost for covered services. You also have the option of seeing an out-of-network dentist but at a higher out-of-pocket cost. One of the biggest pros to going with PPO plans, besides the freedom to choose any dentist you like – you can also see a specialist without a referral. In addition, PPO plans typically cover a wide range of dental services, including preventive care, basic procedures like fillings and extractions, and more complex procedures like root canals and crowns. This dental plan does have an annual maximum that you’ll want to be sure not to go over. It is the most popular type of dental insurance available. However, one potential drawback of a PPO dental plan is that you may have to pay a deductible or co-pay for certain services.

Indemnity Dental Plans

Indemnity Dental plan would be a good fit for those, who are looking for more flexibility in choosing a dentist. Moreover, there are no restrictions on the services covered. These plans have a structure of tiered coverage. You typically pay a percentage of the cost, and the plan pays the rest. As an example, you can expect that routine care may be 100% covered. Whereas for other services Indemnity Insurance plans will reimburse you for 50-80% of your treatment costs.

However, one potential con of an Indemnity Dental plan is that your out-of-pocket costs may be higher than with a PPO plan. In addition, some plans require you to pay a deductible or co-pay for certain services.

Fixed Indemnity Plans

Fixed Indemnity plan provides you with a fixed amount of money for each dental service, regardless of the actual cost. This plan is useful if you want to have more control over your dental expenses. In addition, there are no restrictions on the dentists you can see or the services covered. As well as, you don’t have deductibles or copays.

However, you should keep in mind that the amount you receive for each service with a Fixed Indemnity plan may not cover the full cost of the procedures provided.

When selecting a dental insurance plan, it’s important to consider the waiting periods and enrollment requirements. Waiting periods are the length of time you must wait before you can receive coverage for certain services. These waiting periods can vary depending on the plan and the service.

For example, some dental insurance plans have a waiting period of six months to a year before they cover orthodontic treatment, such as braces or Invisalign. If you or a family member requires orthodontic treatment, it’s important to factor in the waiting period as well.

The plan’s enrollment requirements may also differ. To enroll for some plans you have to wait until the annual enrollment period starts, while others allow you to enroll at any time.

As dental needs will differ for each individual, there is no simple answer to which dental insurance is the best. It’s essential to consider your primary dental needs, coverage limits, provider networks, premiums and deductibles, benefits, and exclusions when selecting a plan. Additionally, if you need specific services like orthodontics treatment with braces or Invisalign or implants, it’s important to choose dental insurance that covers these procedures. However, working with Baker Consulting broker you can be sure that we will evaluate all necessary aspects to find the right fit for you. Don’t let dental costs without insurance prevent you from receiving the necessary care. Request a free consultation with our insurance broker to find a plan and get access to affordable dental care and maintain good oral health for years to come.