How to Find Good Dental Insurance

Insurance plans can be tricky and confusing. Finding a good one can be central to your overall wellness by making affordable dental care possible. Whether you are an individual seeking insurance for yourself and/or your family or an employer scouring for a group plan, there are key steps to finding reliable, capable dental insurance.

Things You'll Need

• Computer with Internet capabilities

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Instructions

How to Find Good Dental Insurance

• 1

  Identify your major needs and/or concerns. If you are looking for individual coverage, take note of any issues, pains, or concerns that have surfaced since your last dental visit. These could be potential problems. If you have never had a problem and all you want is preventative care, it is important to consider that when looking for a plan. For instance, if you have a cracked tooth, do not choose a plan that only covers basic procedures or you will be paying for your procedure in full.

  For group coverage, figure out what comprehensive plans the company can purchase for the lowest price that also offers the lowest premium for the group. Because dental problems can lead to absenteeism that can cost the company money, it should be a priority to make your dental plans appealing.

  For individuals, families, and groups, the following should be considered as you begin looking for your plan: what are the plan coverages for emergency care, sealants, orthodontics, specialists, full-mouth x-rays, surgeries, etc. Also consider what percentage of the money that you pay goes to the actual care of your teeth and not to running the insurance company.

• 2

  Decide which type of plan you would like. There are two types of dental plans: managed care plans and fee for service plans.

  Managed care plans offer either a Preferred Provider Organization (PPO) or a Dental Health Maintenance Organization (DHMO). They differ in the arrangement that the insurance company has with the dentist. A PPO allows the customer to choose from a network of providers that have made a contract with the insurance company to discount their services. A patient can go to a dentist out of the network but should expect to pay higher deductibles and co-payments for the coverage.

  A DHMO has made an agreement with the dentist to pay them a fixed amount, usually monthly, for every individual or family that is enrolled. In return, certain treatments are provided at no cost to the patient. The patient must go to the specific dentist that is being paid for this service and this type of plan is usually the least expensive.

  Finally, there are fee-for-service plans. One example is a Direct Reimbursement (DR). These plans give money back to the patient based on the amount of dollars spent, regardless of the type of treatment. The patient can choose any dentist and there is no monthly premium because a percentage of the actual treatments are being paid. "DR is the ADA's [American Dental Association] preferred method of financing dental treatment."

• 3

  There are many insurance companies so narrow your search to a handful that you like before you begin shopping. If you don't know much about these companies until you begin your research, the best way to find out about them is by word of mouth. Ask friends and family about their experiences with their dental insurance providers. Use their experiences to make a decision about the best possible choice. Aetna, DHA_Access, and Unicare are just a few of the companies that offer the services you may need.

• 4

  Get quotes and compare prices. You can go to the separate, individual websites and get a quote from each company. Another great way to get quotes and comparisons is to visit the sites that do it all for you. Here are a few:

  • http://www.dentalinsurance.com
  • http://www.ehealthinsurance.com/dental-insurance
  • http://www.dentalplans.com/moreinfo/plansvsinsurance.asp

  Keep in mind your needs and concerns and choose the best plan for you, your family, or your employees.