Dental Discount Plans vs Dental Insurance: Discovering the Best Options for You

Dental health is not a laughing matter. A great smile is worth a million words. It provides people with insight about who you are and where you come from, it is the obvious first impression anyone gets about someone. People with discolored teeth are telling people you either smoke, drink a lot of coffee, tea, or soda, or you do not brush your teeth. People with missing teeth or gaps let others know either they could not afford to take care of it or they do not care about their appearance. This is the type of visual connectivity associated with dental hygiene. You could say it will negate many possibilities of meeting mister or miss right in your dating life. Failing to properly care for your dental health could prove to be a fatal mistake. Dental problems could result in bacterial infections, blood infections in the brain, sinus problems, and many other issues.

Many employers do not even offer dental insurance, due to the incredible costs involved. Not to fret, there are still options available to you. You can get dental insurance or you can look into dental discount plans. Dental insurance is obviously much more expensive, while dental discount plans are very affordable. Now, what do you do? What would I do? I am glad you asked. As a health insurance agent, myself, I will help you make the right decision.

I, personally, do not care for the dental insurance available. Most forms of dental insurance cover next to nothing, initially. As with any insurance, the longer you pay your premiums the more options you will receive. Most dental insurance starts out covering a certain number of cleanings per year and minor procedures, that you can have treated only so often. I have seen dental insurance ranging from $40 to $80 per month. Yes, you will have a deductible to pay or you will have to pay a small office visit fee. Most dentists do not have payment plans established, but you may get lucky and find one now and again. Dentists do not have a fixed rate set by the government, which means dentists can charge what they want without repercussion. So, no dentist will cost the same as the next. Most dentists expect full payment up front before they will even see you. This is where the problem lies today. Most of us cannot afford to pay the astronomical rates tied to the procedures needed.

Discounted dental plans are on the rise. These plans are very affordable, ranging from $10 for an individual to $20 for an entire family monthly. These plans usually incorporate certain dentists in networks or offer new dentists an option to gain clients to build their business on. I have seen and heard people complain about most of these dentists being of foreign origins. I, myself, am on the Ameriplan plan and have been really happy with the service I have received. However, you are still expected to pay for your visit up front. The only difference is that you receive anywhere from 60 to 80% off your visit. I can tell you one company that does work with pay options, Allcare Dentures and Dental clinics do work out payment options. Most of us cannot afford to pay the full amounts of certain procedures. Dentists working in discount plan networks cannot charge more than any other dentist, because they agree to accept whatever the discount network decides to set their charges at. For example, if you are on the discount dental plan needing a root canal, if you normal price is $400 you would actually get charged $80 for this routine. Remember, you have an 80% discount. 80% of 400 is 320, so 400 minus 320 is 80. $80 would be the full cost of your routine.

You may be able to find some free clinics in your area, but you will have to contact your local office to find out. These will require you to fill out some paperwork for qualification, which means there is a possibility you could get declined. However, it never hurts to try.

These are three solid options to choose from. Please, do not make a choice to do nothing, especially if you value your life or your children's lives. It is in your best interest to get the appropriate help possible.