2003 March : Top Dental Plans

Affordable Family Dental Plans

Good dental care is so important to your family’s good health and well-being. Who can underestimate the importance of a pleasant and attractive smile? Healthy gums and teeth can contribute to an individual’s self esteem. A pleasant smile can help you feel confident and secure when you meet people and even help you do well at a job interview.

Dental and gum disease may possibly effect your general health. There is some evidence that the bacteria from diseased gums and teeth may cause inflammation in the body which can eventually lead to heart and coronary artery disease. Preventative dental care can avoid these serious complications, yet there are many Americans who cannot afford expensive dental treatment.

Now that it is back to school time and your child will be required to bring in completed dental and medical examination forms, it might be time to give some thought to your family’s dental plan. What if you or your children need some serious dental work? What if your child needs expensive orthodontic treatment? If there are any senior citizens living in your household, they may have medical coverage through Medicare, but do they have an affordable dental plan?

Dental insurance is often the forgotten coverage. While many employers provide some form of medical insurance, as many as 7 out of 10 Americans do not have a dental plan. Even among those who do have dental insurance, many dental plans prove to be very inadequate. In my work as an AmeriPlan® Independent Business Owner, I speak to many individuals each day who lack affordable dental benefits. Even if they have the good fortune to have dental insurance provided by their employer, often these plans have serious limits on coverage, have waiting periods for pre-existing conditions, and frequently do not provide orthodontic treatment for their children. With the high cost of dentistry, a $1,500 per year limit on dental services will not take a family very far.

Discount dental plans provide the consumer with an excellent choice for saving money on dental care. These affordable dental plans are reasonably priced alternatives to expensive dental insurance plans. Savings typically range from 25% for specialist treatment (periodontists, oral surgeons, endodontists) to 80% for exams. Most major dental procedures, such as fillings, root canals, crowns and bridges, dentures, and orthodontic treatment (braces), offer savings from 50% to 60%–literally cutting a family’s dental bill by more than half.

Some added features that a good discount dental plan provides are:

• No limit on visits or services

• Ongoing dental problems are accepted

• Instant savings

• No paperwork

• No waiting period

• Orthodontia and cosmetic dentistry are included

When looking for an affordable dental plan, look for a plan that is a member of the National Association of Dental Plans (NADP), has a good choice of dental providers in your local area, and has an 800 customer service number. In addition, many discount dental plans offer value added services such as discounts on vision care, prescriptions, and chiropractic treatment.

Discounted Dental Plans – are These a Good Deal or a Scam?

That seems to be what the public really wants to know. After all, if discounted dental plans are such a “great”

deal, then what exactly is the purpose of dental insurance? Let’s take a look at both of these dental plans

and see if we can make some sense of this mess.

Dental Insurance

Dental insurance was designed to provide dental protection for individuals, families and groups. The main

benefit of these plans was that you could see a dentist every six months and it would either be paid for

as part of the policy premium or you would pay a substantial discount. In many cases, you would have

to pay for the checkup and then your insurance company would reimburse you.

Insurance companies encouraged you to visit the dentist on a regular schedule because you could catch

things before they became a major problem that required more costly procedures. This isn’t always the case

anymore.

Dental insurance does not pay as much as it used to for dental procedures. As a matter of fact, dental

insurance doesn’t pay for pre-existing conditions at all. This means that if you have a broken tooth that must

be repaired and you buy a dental insurance policy looking to get it fixed, you can expect a big surprise when

you get to the dentist’s office and they ask you if you would like to pay in cash or put the procedure on your

credit card.

In most cases, dental insurance has a twelve month waiting period before you can be seen for pre-existing

conditions. Also, you can still expect to pay for most of the visit out of pocket as the insurance policy will

only cover a percentage of procedure..

Dental insurance is also very expensive. Most policies can cost up to $100.00 per month for a family just

for the premiums. You’ll still have a deductible to pay for each procedure and certain procedures may or may

not be covered. This mostly applies to things like braces, cosmetic dentistry and certain types of oral

surgery. Dental insurance today is not what it was when our parents were younger.

Discounted dental plans

These are exactly what they say they are, discounted dental plans, not insurance. These plans have their

good points and bad, just like dental insurance, however, the good really does outweigh the bad here as

long as you prepare yourself for each visit to the dentist.

This is how a discount plan works.

You join the plan for a small monthly fee, usually less than twenty dollars for a family, and you may then

see any dentist in their network. These are NOT “horse doctors” either. They are fully qualified dentists

that are just like any other dentist you’ve ever seen. As a matter of fact, your family dentist, if you have

one, may already be a member.

You’re probably wondering why a dentist would want to be a part of the network huh? The reason is because

they get cash on the spot and don’t have to wait on their payment for up to forty five days to be paid from an

insurance company. Also, membership has its benefits and these dentists, as a large group, can also save

money on different things that they need for their businesses such as equipment, ect. Large numbers means

buying power.

Most of these plans offer a discount for services performed at the time of the visit. Your savings can be anywhere

from 10-60%, depending on the plan. Your actual savings will depend on what part of the country that you live

in too. It seems to be less expensive in larger markets because of the competition between dentists. They can

afford to give lower prices because of the steady amount of patients that they receive.

The only drawback to the discounted dental plans is the fact that you must have cash to pay the discounted

fees at the time of your appointment. If you prepare in advance, so that you have the money set aside, then a

discounted dental plan may be an option for you.

Top Dental Plans

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Dental Discount Plans

The Affordable Option To Dental Insurance

The right plan for your budget

Find Plans In Your Area

Affordable Family Dental Plans

Dental Discount Plans

The Affordable Option To Dental Insurance

The right plan for your budget

Find Plans In Your Area

Discounted Dental Plans – are These a Good Deal or a Scam?