Dental Insurance

Firstly, you should consider dental insurance to maintain a healthy mouth, as preventing oral health problems before they start is one of the best ways to keep dental costs down in the long run. Emergency dental work is also expensive and may not be in your budget so it pays to be covered. Lastly, you can protect your overall health, as regular checkups allow dentists to screen patients for symptoms related to other diseases.

This depends on the type of plan you choose. Indemnity plans have no restrictions and patients can see any dentist. Many PPO plans allow patients to see dentists outside the plan’s network, but doing so may result in higher out-of-pocket expenses. If you choose a DHMO dental plan, you have to use a dentist who participates in the plan’s approved network.

Most DHMO plans will provide a discount on services provided when the service received is a covered service that is completed by a specialist who participates in the plan’s network. DHMO patients should always check to confirm that the dentist is “in network” or participates with the DHMO. If you have a PPO plan and you are referred to an in-network specialist, the insurance company will cover the service and you will be subject to pre-negotiated prices as long as it is a covered service as listed in the plan policy. If you are referred to an out-of-network PPO specialist and the PPO plan provides out-of-network coverage, the insurance company will cover the service as long as it is a covered service as listed in the plan policy. Traditional indemnity dental plans do not utilize provider networks, patients with these plans can go to any dentist of their choice. Procedures performed by dentists or other oral care specialists are covered as described in the plan policy.