Payment Make Payment Like Us Like us on Facebook Reviews Read Our Reviews Call Give us a Call Map View our Map

Dental Insurance vs. a Dental Discount Plan — Which Should You Choose?

October 7, 2023

Filed under: Uncategorized — canalsidedental @ 5:05 pm
Happy female dental patient making thumbs up gesture

There are a number of provisions that can make professional oral healthcare easier to afford for your family. For example, you could purchase a dental insurance policy or a dental discount plan. Both options have some outstanding advantages and a few potential downsides, so which one should you choose? This blog post provides a generalized comparison of these two money-saving options. Hopefully, what you learn will empower you to make a wise decision for your circumstances.

Dental Insurance

It is fairly standard for PPO dental insurance plans to offer the following perks and benefits:

  • Preventive care is 100% covered, allowing you to receive cleanings, checkups, and other basic services for nothing out of pocket.
  • Restorative care is 50 – 80% covered. The level of coverage depends on whether a particular procedure is classified as minor or major.
  • You can visit any dental practice, regardless of whether they are in your insurance network.

Some potential downsides of insurance that you should be aware of include:

  • There is likely to be a waiting period of 6 – 12 months before you can receive coverage for restorative services.
  • Your policy may have an annual maximum, which places a limit on how much your insurer will pay out for approved services within a calendar year.
  • Some popular services, such as cosmetic procedures, may not be covered at all.

Dental Discount Plans

Many dental discount plans come with the following advantages:

  • Preventive care is often included for no additional fee.
  • You can enjoy a discount on virtually all other services, including those that are not usually covered by traditional dental insurance.
  • There are no waiting periods or annual maximums.

Some drawbacks of dental discount plans include:

  • You will likely have to pay more out of pocket for restorative care than you would if you used regular insurance.
  • You may be able to use your discount plan only at certain practices.

Which Is Better for You?

Each dental insurance plan and dental discount plan is unique. You should carefully consider the details of any options that are available to you so you can make a choice based on your personal preferences and needs. Once you commit to an insurance policy or discount plan, you can look forward to saving money on a healthy smile!

Meet the Practice

The dentists and support staff at Canal Side Family Dental are proud to provide a full range of oral health services for our community. We welcome insurance, and we participate in the Essential Dental discount plan. If you have questions about how our team may be able to help you save money on top-quality care, contact our Buzzards Bay office at 508-375-3149.

No Comments

No comments yet.

RSS feed for comments on this post.

Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.

Canal Side Family Dental is a 42 North Dental Care, PLLC practice and is owned and operated by dentists Dr. Samuel Shames, DDM. and Dr. Ronald Weissman, DDM. Gentle Dental is supported by 42 North Dental, LLC, a dental support organization that provides non-clinical administrative and business support services to the practice. 42 North Dental, LLC does not own or operate the dental practice or employ dentists to provide dental services. Find more information about 42 North Dental, LLC and the dental practices it supports at 42northdental.com.