Your Local Dentist Explains How Dental Insurance Works

You’re looking to revamp your dental health this spring by visiting your dentist to receive expert care, but there’s one problem: you don’t know how your dental insurance works, and you’re wondering, “What will it cover?” You no longer have to guess because as you read on, that and other questions are answered, so you can move forward with receiving the preventive care you need to protect your mouth, teeth, and gums!

How Does Dental Insurance Work?

The purpose of dental insurance is to provide benefits for care that is considered essential to your oral health. Therefore, dental procedures that address the aesthetics of your smile typically won’t be covered.

The following explains how the benefits are generally disbursed:

• Preventive – You are able to see the greatest return on your investment into your oral health by maintaining six-month visits with your dentist for preventive care. Better yet, insurance companies will typically cover up to 100% of the costs of these visits.
• Basic – An example of a procedure that is considered basic care is a cavity filling. Usually, your dental insurance will cover up to 80% of the cost.
• Major – You can generally expect your dental insurance to cover up to 50% of the cost of major dental care, an example of which is a root canal.

In- and Out-of-Network Coverage Explained

When you visit an in-network dentist, it means that the professional has an agreement with your insurance provider to offer services at a discounted rate. Thus, in cases where you need basic or major care, which requires a patient contribution, you can expect to pay less.

However, if the professional you seek care from is out-of-network, then the overall cost of the care provided will generally be higher, which means you can expect to pay more.

How to Maximize Your Dental Insurance

Statistics show that each year, only three percent of the people with dental insurance will maximize their coverage. That means millions of people are missing out on valuable care they are paying for on a monthly basis.

The best way to prevent this from happening to you is to visit your dentist every six months for preventive care. These appointments, that take roughly an hour to complete, are critical to saving money initially and down the road, by preventing the need for more complex and expensive forms of care.

So to protect your oral health and to get the most out of the monthly financial investment you make, reach out to your local dentist to schedule a visit today!