Dental Plan – Is It Worth the Cost?

If you are not already covered by a dental plan through your employer at little or no cost, you may be thinking about getting one to help you pay for dental care for you or your family. Dental care is getting more and more expensive and you wonder if a dental plan would help to offset some of those costs. There are dozens of plans available and all of them have different deductible options, dentist choices, and coverage alternatives. Which one, if any is right for you? A dental plan can save you a lot of money, or you can end up paying more out of pocket than you would if you had not had the plan. Here are some considerations to make before you choose a dental plan:

What are your out of pocket costs for the dental plan? Most dental insurance plans require a deductible of some sort. However, it is not uncommon on a dental plan that the deductible does not apply for preventative care-which means that preventative care is given for no out of pocket costs except for a co-pay if you have one. A deductible of $50 to $100 is common. Find out if the deductible is per person covered or per family.

Most of the time, the amount of coverage on a dental plan depends on the type of procedure done. Here is an example of how coverage may work:

Preventative care (such as cleaning, fluoride, x-rays, and sealants):

No out of pocket costs

Basic care (such as fillings and simple extractions):

Patient pays deductible. Patient pays 20% of all costs after that.

Major care (such as crowns, dentures, complex extractions):

Patient pays deductible. Patient pays 50% of all costs after that.

Many plans also limit the amount of money that they will pay out in a year per patient and per family. Usually it is around $1000 per individual and $2500 per family. If you have pre-existing conditions such as a missing tooth, most plans will not pay for a bridge or repairs.

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