Good health starts with a healthy mouth.
Regular dental exams and cleanings can lower the risk of gum disease, which is linked to heart disease, diabetes, stroke, and other serious conditions. These are all things we would prefer to avoid at any stage in life. Good dental care can get costly quick, and to offset that burden many people opt-in for dental insurance. It is a fantastic way to leverage a few hundred dollars into thousands of dollars potentially in benefits.
Insurance benefits vary from company to company, but many of the benefits are similar. These may include paying less out-of-pocket for services like fillings, root canals, crowns, implants, dentures, and other services. Some plans may even offer multiple cleanings and exams at zero cost as part of your preventative services. Most plans also incorporate an annual deductible for individuals or the family.
Dental services are usually broken into three categories. Preventative, basic, and major services.
Typical preventative services include, but are not limited to:
- Routine examinations (many offer a limit of two per year)
- Cleanings (many offer a limit of two per year)
- Bitewing x-rays
- Some plans offer topical fluoride treatment
Diagnostic & basic services may include, but are not limited to:
- Emergency care for pain relief
- Fillings
- Simple extractions and root removal
- Miscellaneous x-rays
- Full mouth or panoramic x-rays
Major services may include, but are not limited to:
- Root canals
- Periodontal cleanings
- Implants
- Complete or partial dentures
- Denture repair and adjustments
- Crowns
- Space maintainers
- Surgical extractions
- Oral surgery
Not every insurance plan offers the same or every benefit listed in the three above categories. This is more of a general list or an outline of the limitations and exclusions for various dental plans. It is designed to be a convenient reference point where you can see what options are available and decide which are important for you. Then consult with one of our insurance representatives to find the policy that fits what you want to protect.