3 Reasons to Enroll in a Dental Plan
While dental insurance gives you some protection against the costs of your care and treatments, policies don’t always give you the coverage you need. If you want to cover your care more effectively, then consider a dental plan.
On a basic level, these plans give you discounted costs. So, a plan will take a percentage off your treatment. More comprehensive plans give you a discount, but they also include other benefits. A plan will give you no cost exams and X-rays and a fixed number of preventative treatments such as cleanings every year.
What are the benefits of using a dental plan?
1. Get Essential Dental Care
If you don’t have dental insurance, then you might struggle to pay for treatment and avoid going to your dentist’s office at these times.
Even if you have a policy, it may not always cover your needs. For example, if your coverage has an annual dollar cap, and you’ve reached it, then you may skip seeing your dentist until the cap resets.
If you don’t have regular dental exams and early treatment, then even a small problem can quickly develop into a bigger one. You may need more complex and expensive treatment to put things right.
If you join a dental plan, then you get discounts that make sticking to an effective oral care routine easier. Your plan offers you no cost exams and cleanings, then you also have automatic access to the preventative care you need to keep your teeth in good shape.
If you’ve already paid for a set number of exams and cleanings, then you’re also more likely to book and keep these appointments. You want to get value for the money you’ve spent on the plan.
2. Make Dental Care Easier to Manage
Managing dental insurance takes some time and effort. Your policy documents may be long and hard to understand. They may contain exclusions that affect the treatments you can have under your coverage rules.
Also, you may have to deal with a lot of paperwork and calls to make a claim and get reimbursement. Getting paid could take a while.
Dental plans are usually simple to understand and manage. You often know exactly which benefits and discounts you get from the start. You don’t have to put in claims, as your dentist automatically applies your discounts.
3. Save Money on Your Dental Care
Even if you find a cost-effective dental insurance plan, you won’t necessarily save as much money as you think. You’re likely to have extra costs over the course of your coverage.
For example, if your policy includes copays or deductibles, then you have to pay those costs. Your coverage might limit how many exams or treatments you can have each year; you may have an annual cost cap. If you have a pre-existing problem, then your insurer might not cover any charges that relate to this condition.
It doesn’t take much for your costs to build up on top of your insurance coverage premiums. This is often a problem if you hit a cap and have to pay for your own treatment. Paying for pre-existing condition treatments that your insurance doesn’t cover can also be expensive.
A dental plan has one upfront payment that provides a discount and a range of free exams and treatments. You either get no cost or discounted services whenever you visit your dentist. Plus, if your dentist offers family discounts, like by giving a percentage off the costs of plans you take out for other people, then your overall care costs go down.
If you’re interested in switching to a dental plan or purchasing a dental plan because you do not have dental insurance, contact Crest Hill Family Dental. We offer several different plans, and we will be happy to find the one that works best for your dental needs.