Here’s How to Get Dental Insurance

Most people think a lot about different types of insurances, but there are a few that can sometimes get neglected. Health insurance, car insurance, home insurance and life insurance are the big insurance types that everyone thinks about, but have you heard of dental insurance? Going to the dentist is quite pricey and dental insurance is something that can help you get your act together and pay for the costs to care for your teeth. It’s important to go to the dentist at least once in a while because if you don’t then you could see some even more expensive problems like cavities or teeth falling out. So, now you want to get dental insurance but you don’t know how or where? Well, you are lucky that we are here to answer the question of how to get dental insurance.

Dental insurance can be acquired through your local health insurance exchange. It is not free, but it is an add on that you can have. Most dental insurance coverage is through an HMO where you have to go to certain dental offices to get coverage. Other types are similar to a PPO where you can go to any dentist that you want. There are many different types of plans and we are here to explain them all to you.

Indemnity Plans

Indemnity dental insurance plans are for people who want the most selection of Dentists possible. This is great for you if you already have a favorite provider that you want to go to and you don’t want to have to change. However, they may not be the best for everyone. That’s because indemnity plans only cover a certain portion of your services after a bill is received by the insurance company, which means that, depending on the dentist, you might have to pay for some things up front and then get reimbursed. This is great for people who might have a lot of dough on hand but still want to save money on dental care with insurance.

Managed Care Plans

These types of plans have networks of dentists and you must go to one of these dentists in order to get your services covered. If you have a managed care plan you can get on an HMO or PPO, which are similar to health insurance.

All About Dental

You can consider dental insurance a supplement to health insurance. You can buy it because you want to have some coverage for your teeth in addition to your body. The main thing you have to watch out for is that most types of dental insurance don’t cover major procedures in the first six to eighteen months of coverage. That means that if you have something you need done, getting dental insurance is not going to help you. That’s why it’s good to just have it. It’s not too expensive and you can usually manage it pretty well. 

Dental Care and Kids

With the Affordable Care Act, dental insurance is automatically provided with any healthcare plan for kids under the age of 18 years. It is sad that isn’t the case for everyone, but it is nice that parents don’t have to worry about their kids teeth and their care status. 

What Do Dental Plans Cover?

Dental plans cover many of the things that you will need to do at the dentist. Many of them offer coverage for basic cleanings, cavity fillings and x-rays. Like other types of insurance, most dental plans have a deductible so you will have to pay a bit, but it’s good to know that once that is paid for, you won’t have to put much out to get your dental expenses covered. Dental plans also cover more complicated procedures including crowns and bridges, gum treatments (periodontics), and dentures. In some cases it may cover tooth implants, braces and other procedures that are considered more complicated.

Is it Worth It?

Some people wonder if dental insurance is really worth it. The thing is that you can imagine how expensive dental care can be. Even a cavity filling can be a few hundred dollars without insurance. A cleaning can be one hundred bucks or more too, depending on where you live. Dental insurance helps your family to defray these high costs. Most people would agree that yet, dental insurance is highly worth it. 

What’s Not Covered

Keep in mind that cosmetic dental procedures are not covered with dental insurance, so if you are feeling like you want to get coverage for that, it’s not going to help. That’s something you would need to save up for on your own. Additionally, most plans cut you off after about $1,500 so if you plan to spend more than that, you might be dissatisfied with your dental insurance experience. Finally, dental insurance plans may not cover people who already have missing teeth, or they may have higher deductibles for people with missing teeth, because they are likely to have more dental needs.

Where Do You Buy It?

You get dental insurance in the same place you get your health insurance. You will either use your state’s healthcare exchange or the federal exchange. You will buy it at the same time that you will get your own health insurance. You can only get this during the open enrollment period, unless you fall under certain types of conditions, like losing your job that once provided you health insurance. You can also get it if you get married, if you have or adopt a kid, if you move out of the range of your current healthcare plan and if your plan is removed from the offerings of your insurance company. You can also change it if your income changes drastically.

How to Save on Dental Insurance

Well, dental plans are already pretty affordable so there aren’t very many ways to save, but keep in mind that they can help you save up to 60% on your overall dental costs. It is more important to get it before you need some serious dental work due to the waiting period, so you really should get it as soon as possible. You never know when you are going to need to use your dental insurance so getting it is really a good idea. Dental care is really expensive. You can try to keep your dental care low by brushing your teeth regularly and flossing on a regular basis too, but sooner or later those teeth will need work and as you age that need will just grow bigger. So get coverage!

How to Budget for Dental Care

When you need to budget for dental care, you need to know that having dental insurance will really help you a lot. This will make sure that you can save up to 60% on your care costs for your teeth. In reality, your dental care costs only has to be about a few hundred dollars per year if you are taking good care of your teeth. For kids it can be a little more especially if they need to get braces, but you can really just expect to spend not too much. If you want to save on dental care you can get your dental services at dental colleges. Students under the supervision of teachers often do the work there. It does take a little bit long to get service at a place like this, but it is worth it to save a lot. Once you have dental insurance you can ask your insurance company for recommendations on where to go!

Get a free quote on dental insurance today now that you know how to get dental insurance. You’ll be glad that you did and you will be able to smile more and be proud of your smile.