Dental insurance is separate from health insurance . If you only bought a health insurance policy or your employer only offers a health insurance policy, then you will have to add a dental policy to have dental coverage. Dental insurance policies cover preventative, basic and sometimes major dental services. Preventative services can be as low as $0 visits twice a year. Basic services include fillings, sealants, extractions and more. Major services include dentures, root canals, crowns and more.
Much like health insurance policies, Dental insurance policies can be Preferred Provider Organizations (PPO's), offering best coverage if you choose one of their network of dentists. A good Dental policy will offer $0 to low copay preventative visits, low or no deductible basic and major dental services. A low deductible for Dental insurance is around $50. Also, Dental policies usually have a maximum yearly amount that the insurance will pay, typically $1000 per person per year. Basic services are offered at an 80/20 split with the insurance company, the insured paying 20% after the deductible. If major services are covered under the policy, it is probably a 50/50 split after the deductible. Only one deductible should be paid per year for basic and major services combined.
Check your policy for special services such as orthodontics. Braces and cosemetic procedures such as veneers and tooth whitenings are typically not covered unless the policy specifically states coverage. There are plans available on the indivudual market that give discounts for specialty services of around 25% with no maximums. There are also financing cards such as CareCredit on the market to help finance these services. Just like medical cosemetic procedures, though, coverage is typically only a discount and not always included in standard coverage.
A good dental policy will cost, on the individual or employee benefits market, about $40 monthly for one person. Adding family members is offered at a discounted premium. While there are plans that offer comprehensive coverage for around $15 monthly, the network of Dentists is much smaller than the pricier plans. If you are looking for quotes for employee benefits or on the individual/family or self employeed markets shop with a broker for the best plans offered in your area. Brokers can quickly compare quotes from many companies giving you the best outlook on your options. A Broker can also search Dental Networks for your preferred Dentist, allowing you to stay with the same provider if you would like to do so.
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