You may have heard some people say that dental insurance is an unnecessary luxury that we most people can do without. That’s all very well and good, but is it any coincidence that the people that say things like that are not the happiest in the world. Maybe they are happy but there’s some other reason they don’t smile that often.
The sad fact is that it is social suicide to have a bad set of molars protruding from your mouth. Maybe we don’t want to wear our smile for the next Hollywood blockbuster but it’s natural to want to look your best. If looking your best is a luxury then looking relatively kempt is a minimum.
There is not just the cosmetic side of things to worry about. Other illnesses are caused by poor dental health, illnesses that you normally wouldn’t associate with your mouth hygiene. Everything from gum disease which is obvious right through to Osteoporosis as bone metabolism is altered because of bad dental hygiene.
What should be obvious is that not all dental plans are the same and decisions to take a plan should be tailored to your needs. Your needs and that of your family may be different from the next persons. A simple plan will cover you for check-ups but what if you need treatment as a result of that check up.
The more basic of plans will not contribute a great deal to seeing through any major or procedural work. Without good cover you can find yourself paying huge bills on top of your monthly premiums. The other thing to watch out for when you take out or switch cover is the qualification period. Many plans will not pay out on any serious work if you have had them running for less than three months.
Even with a very good plan, you will find that you have to make contributions or copayments to have any serious problem treated. These would include any Endodontic, Periodontic or Prosthodontic procedures. Of course we would like to be covered completely and not have to pay any additional costs but that’s just not the way of the world.
Before diving in feet first with insurance, you should really have a good think about what is important to you and what your are your needs. Someone that takes good care of their teeth is not going to need as major treatment as often. Most plans will cover things like a scrape and polish or at least something like seventy five percent of the costs. It’s all about weighing up what you want to spend each month against how good your teeth are and your ability to pay for treatment if needed.
When you are reviewing plans for yourself then you may be comfortable with a little risk. If the plan you are considering taking out is for your family, then the best dental insurance you can realistically afford is advised. It could mean a potential disaster averted if everything went wrong at once.
Elizabeth Roster is a retired dental hygienist. For more information on dental insurance plans, visit DentalDigs.com.