The Benefits of Individual Dental Insurance

Unfortunately, not every employer offers a dental plan for employees. This is too bad, because regular preventive dental care reduces the number of productive hours employees lose when they have extensive dental work done. While your employer may not find it cost effective to offer dental insurance, don’t let that stop you from obtaining excellent coverage for you and your family.

It costs surprisingly little to protect your self or family with individual dental insurance. The premiums are generally low, but do shop around and weigh all the benefits of a particular plan against the premiums, deductibles, and annual maximum benefits.

Young people in their 20s and 30s with young families especially can benefit from individual dental insurance, because most costs are 100 percent covered for preventive care.

You can ask your dentist to perform a thorough oral examination for each member of your family, with a detailed evaluation focused on your needs. This comprehensive exam could include x-rays in addition to visually examining the teeth. Check with your all care dental plan to find out if x-rays are covered.

Some individual dental insurance plans cover a significant portion of fillings, both metal and composite (tooth-colored). If you paid for these procedures out of pocket, they could cost hundreds of dollars. With an all care dental plan, you can actually afford to have that great smile, even if you have had a few problems in the past.

Another benefit of purchasing individual dental insurance is that you then have access to a network of trusted professional dentists who have been prescreened to meet the insurance company’s quality, access, and safety standards. When you are shopping for a dentist on your own, it can be hard to find the one who meets your needs. Checking out an in-network dentist list makes your life so much easier.

All insurance plans have limitations and exclusions. Insurance companies limit the kinds of services they will reimburse or the total amount they will reimburse in order to keep costs down for everyone in the group. Even if you are obtaining individual dental insurance, you will be part of a group and take advantage of the group rates. Limitations and exclusions do apply.

It is such a good habit to visit your dentist on a regular basis. If you have medical insurance, you bring your kids to the doctor both for illnesses and regular checkups. Don’t leave your dental health out of this overall picture. The earlier you spot a problem, the more easily it is fixed. Your children will become comfortable with the dentist if they visit on a regular basis, too.

If you have kept up good maintenance habits by brushing, rinsing and flossing, and teach your children to do the same, your family will rarely need anything more extensive than a cleaning. However, if anyone in your family does need something beyond the basics, it is good to have a potential discount at your disposal through your individual dental insurance.