While you may have a health insurance plan, you may be wondering if it’s worth it to have a dental insurance plan as well. While some people may say getting a dental plan isn’t, others note that you can’t beat having peace of mind when it comes to your oral health (and by proxy your overall health). If you answer “yes” to any of the following questions, there’s a good chance a dental insurance plan is right for you.
Do You Want to Make Dental Care More Affordable?
Dental insurance plans are designed to decrease the out-of-pocket costs associated with dental care, especially when talking about preventive services like exams, cleanings, and X-rays. Without a dental plan, you’re responsible for the full cost of your treatments. If you visit a dentist that is in-network with your plan, you won’t have to worry about haggling with a dentist in order to get a cash discount. Put simply, it will cost you less overall for a checkup and cleaning with insurance versus paying for everything out of pocket.
Do You Want to Avoid Future Oral Health Problems?
With insurance, it’s easier to get regular exams, which will enable your dentist to find and take care of problems early, often before you even notice them. That way, you won’t be caught off guard by a sudden toothache. Furthermore, insurance makes smaller problems much easier to treat than larger issues, such as a tooth with a small cavity that can be restored with a dental filling. This is substantially cheaper than treatment for a very large cavity or infection which requires a dental crown or root canal therapy respectively.
Do You Wish to Avoid Unnecessary Emergency Room Visits?
Did you know that people without dental insurance are more likely to skip necessary dental treatments? This often leads them to visiting emergency rooms for dental pain, which unfortunately are often ill-equipped to handle dental issues because they often don’t keep dentists on-staff. In fact, oral diseases result in over two million emergency visits nationwide each year according to the American Dental Association. Going to ER is always more expensive compared to visiting the dentist as well, even if you have both medical and dental insurance.
Want to Protect Your Overall Health?
Decades of research have shown that oral care can have a positive effect on your overall health as well. According to the National Academy of Medicine, oral health complications are associated with increased risks for heart disease and can even exacerbate diabetes symptoms. Furthermore, dentists can potentially detect symptoms for more than 120 diseases in the mouth, making oral exams even more essential.
Overall, dental insurance is designed to make taking care of your oral health easier, not just for yourself, but potentially your family members as well. On top of doing big favors for your smile, it’s certainly good for your bank account as well!
About the Author
Dr. Alani provides a wide range of dental services all under one roof, creating a one-stop shop for all things dentistry. Her office accepts most insurance plans and her team members are happy to help you process any claim forms. She looks forward to making your next dental appointment smooth and enjoyable from start to finish. To get an appointment scheduled today, you can give her office a call today to set up a visit!