The importance of Oral Health

It’s no secret that oral health is linked to overall health. Our mouths are home to millions of bacteria.  That’s true with many areas of our body, but our mouth is a gateway to digestive and respiratory tracts. Improper oral hygiene can lead to gum disease and tooth decay and infections. Some medications effect the saliva which is essential in neutralizing some bacterias. Studies have shown links between oral health and diabetes, Alzheimer’s, cardiovascular health, and other conditions. It is no doubt that oral health is important and needs the proper attention. Unfortunately, many people place their al health on the back burner.

 Studies have shown that the number one reason people do not go to a dentist as often as they should is because of the perceived high cost of dental care. Yes, dental services can be expensive. I will not deny that; that is why picking the right dental plan is so important!

Components of Dental Insurance

There are a few features of a dental policy you need to look out for: Network, Max Annual Benefit, Waiting Periods, and Coverage of Major Services. One thing to note, many policies cover child orthodontia, but adult orthodontics is considered cosmetic and not typically covered by insurance.

Network: When reviewing your quotes, confirm that your dentist or desired provider is contracted with the plan. While the majority of the plans we offer have both in and out of network coverage, the highest benefits are provided for the policy holder when seeing a contracted in network provider.

Maximum Annual Benefit: This maximum benefit limit is most the plan will pay for covered services in a year

Waiting Period: This is the amount of time one must be enrolled in the plan before the plan contributes to the cost sharing. Typically, the preventive/routine care is covered day one, but the major services may have a wait. We often see 3, 6, or 9, months, even up to 1 year before the plan will pay for major services. The plans that we recommend do not have waiting periods, that being said, often times benefits do increase over the lifetime of the policy.

Major Services: We mentioned above the waiting periods that may apply to major services, but it is also important to consider how the services are covered. Will there be a copay or coinsurance? Is a root canal covered as major type one or two? If you know you may need a crown, root canal, or other non-routine service, it is important to verify in the plan documents how and when that service will be covered.

Check out our favorite Dental Plans

Ameritas Dental Plans Click for a Quick Quote and Plan Comparison!

Ameritas is one of our trusted providers for a great classic dental plan. With no waiting periods and annually increasing max benefit amounts, our client’s satisfaction rates with these plans are off the charts.

AHS Dental Plans Click for a Quick Quote and Plan Comparison!

Allstate dental plans have a wide variety like a classic value plan to keep up with preventive care. Our most popular plan with Allstate is the copay plans. From day 1 no waiting periods, beyond that each service has a copay. Which means you know exactly what you will pay with a contracted provider. You are not left guessing what your percentages total will be. The Copay Plan 2 is the Cadillac of dental policies.

Delta Dental Plans Click for a Quick Quote and Plan Comparison!

When you think of dental insurance what name comes to mind? Delta Dental!