Many Americans do not have any form of health insurance at all. Those that have health insurance often find that dental care is not included as a part of that policy. An inability to afford regular dental checkups can lead to an increased risk of tooth decay, and periodontal diseases. Dental insurance can help cover the cost of visits to the dentist. However, having dental insurance does not necessarily mean that the insurance will cover all of the dental care that you need.
Dental insurance policies generally cover up to a maximum of $1,000 to $2,000 worth of dental services for one year. Any dental health care you require after you have reached that cap is not going to be covered by your insurance company. Expect to pay those costs out of your own pocket.
There are three categories that your basic dental insurance policy might be. The Preventive and Diagnostic Dental Care plan covers just the basic dental services. This can include checkups, x-ray pictures (although there may be a limit on how many will be covered in one year), cleanings, and some preventative measures.
The Basic Dental Care and Dental Procedures plan covers things that go beyond basic or preventative care. It may cover the cost of having fillings, fixing a chipped tooth, extractions, and some periodontal treatments. Sometimes these plans will cover the cost of root canals, and sometimes they will refuse to.
The Major Dental Care plan covers dental surgery, dental work, the cost of orthodontics (such as braces), and other very serious and expensive dental care. Some dental insurance policies will include root canals here, instead of as a part of a Basic Dental Care and Dental Procedures plan.
If you are getting your health insurance through your employer, or if you are paying for an individual dental insurance policy on your own, it is important to make sure you take the time to find out exactly what the dental plan will cover. It is better to know ahead of time if your insurance will cover what you need done than to discover that it will not when a whopper of a bill arrives in your mailbox. Find out if your dental insurance will cover your spouse, or your children. Ideally, your dental insurance plan will fit the dental health needs of you, and your family, and will also be a helpful, beneficial, form of financial aid to help you pay for the dental care that is required.
You may be expected to pay a deductible before the dental insurance company will start helping you with the cost of your dental care. There may be a co-payment every time you visit the dentist. Some dental insurance programs have a pre-assigned limit of how much they will pay. This limit does not take into account how much dental work you actually need in order to be healthy. You could find yourself paying out of pocket for the dental care you require, even though you have a dental insurance policy.
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