Here’s something to smile about – dental insurance!
A healthy and beautiful smile attracts confidence. However, you may find it hard to maintain it, especially if you do not have a dental insurance policy. Unlike most life insurance policies, dental insurance has its limits. As such, you need to understand dental insurance basics and how they affect your coverage. If you do not consider a policy keenly, you may find that you acquired a coverage that is hardly helpful. As such, you have to mull over various factors before settling for a particular policy and do not assume that you are insured by your standard health insurance. Here is a look at three of the most significant dental insurance basics to consider;
1. Covered services and wait period
Most dental policies have a wait time before you are insured for major procedures. Dental services are classified into four classes as follows;
a) Class I that comprises of diagnostic and preventive care services such as cleaning, exams, and X-rays
b) Class II that includes basic care and procedures for example fillings and root canals
c) Class III holding major care and procedures such as dental crowns, bridges, and dentures
d) Class IV comprising of orthodontia such as dental braces
For dental coverage to cover class III and IV, you may have to wait for a year or so. Before settling for a policy, it is also advisable to determine if it goes beyond to insure cosmetic dentistry. With such information at hand, and considering your dental care requirements, you will be able to shop for dental coverage that will serve you adequately.
As a family with young children, it is advisable to purchase a policy that goes beyond the standard coverage. The policy, though it may feel expensive at first, comes in handy when dealing with dental issues as children grow, given that you may need to use your dentist regularly, say for example, for braces to align their dental structure.
2. Policy limits
Given that the dental insurance policy you take will not provide 100 percent coverage for all services, it is wise to know the limits. This is the extent that the policy will handle, and what you will be required to dig from your pocket. As a family policy, especially where children are involved, it is better to have a policy with an extensive reach to reduce the co-pay amount as dental services may be higher than for a single person.
3. Covered network
Certain policies cater for a given dentist network. If you already have a favorite dentist, consider if they are on the network. If not, check if the policy includes out of network dentist. This will save you the hustle of searching for a new dentist which can be time-consuming and frustrating.
Dental insurance gives you the peace of mind you deserve, given the high cost of dental care services. With standard health insurance, you may find it challenging to cater for your dental care needs. As you shop for a dental policy, do not settle for the first provider you find, shop around, negotiate, and ensure you compare different providers. Shopping around will allow you to get the most competitive and ideal dental coverage the market has to offer and play a pivotal role in your health insurance policies.
