by Choose from a wide selection of family and individual dental insurance plans.
Even if you have dental insurance through your group health insurance plan or as a supplement to your individual health insurance, you should consider comparing the rates and coverage you currently receive against a stand-alone individual dental insurance plan. You may find that the coverage offered from an insurance company specializing in dental insurance exceeds your current coverage at a relatively lower cost. With the extremely high cost associated with most dental procedures outside of normal cleanings and x-rays, you may also find it beneficial to purchase additional dental insurance to supplement the coverage you already have. Choose your state below and consult with several of the brokers and agents listed to see if an affordable dental insurance plan is right for you.
Dental Insurance Overview
Similar to health insurance, there are many types of dental insurance. Standard individual dental insurance plans include HMO dental plans and PPO dental plans. HMO dental plans require that you choose one dentist or dental group to handle all of your dental care needs. PPO dental plans allow you to choose from a list of many different dentists in your area. There are also discount dental plans. These are not dental insurance but can provide you with the freedom to visit many dentists at substantial discounts over their standard fees. Although they are becoming increasingly rare, indemnity dental insurance plans are also still available and provide the freedom to choose the dentist of your choice at a higher out-of-pocket expense.
Most people that have an individual or family dental insurance plan have it provided to them under an employer-sponsored group dental insurance plan. Other people may have an individual health insurance plan in which dental insurance is a supplemental option available to them through the same insurance company. Regardless of the type of dental insurance you have, you should consider the different individual health insurance options available to you as either an affordable replacement to your current plan or a supplement for additional coverage. As most people are aware, the fees charged by dentists can be substantial. Regardless of the type of dental insurance you have, its purpose is to assist with meeting these high dental treatment costs. Most individual dental insurance plans tend to emphasize preventive dental care because it lowers costs in the long-run caused by poor dental hygiene and lack of regular check-ups and cleanings.
The insurance premiums associated with an individual or family dental insurance plan are usually affordable and will vary depending on the type of dental insurance plan you select. Naturally, the most affordable dental insurance is the kind that is paid for by your employer, but not everybody has this available to them. When reviewing the dental insurance options available to you, make sure to compare the monthly premium to the level of benefits that you will receive under the dental plan. Most individual dental insurance plans have annual maximum benefit levels which may be directly related to the monthly premium that you pay for coverage. Plans that have a higher monthly premium may provide higher levels of benefits which may be worth the additional monthly cost.
Regardless of the type of dental insurance plan, you select, the covered services and excluded services may be similar in nature. For a summary of what type of benefits and exclusions to expect from a dental insurance plan, visit our covered dental insurance benefits and dental insurance exclusions sections. The dental insurance information provided on these pages is simply an overview of what are the common benefits and exclusions. When shopping for individual, family or group dental insurance quotes, always review the dental plan coverage description thoroughly for any variations in coverage levels.