Many Young Singles Ignore Individual Dental Insurance
For most young single people with a bright flashy smile, the thought of individual dental insurance never crosses their mind until they wake up in the middle of the night with a massive toothache. A trip to the dentists for which they are responsible for full payment of any procedures conducted, may make them begin thinking about looking into individual dental insurance.
Many employers are beginning to offer dental coverage as part of their benefits package and at a reasonable rate, individual dental insurance will often cost less per year than a simple extraction. Many plans include an annual X-ray, exam and cleaning and provide the opportunity to prevent serious dental problems before they get out of hand. Simple plans also usually place a limit on the amount the insurance company will pay per year, but for a person with excellent dental health, the prevention alone can make the cost of individual dental insurance a bargain.
As people grow older the chance of suffering more serious dental problems increases, especially if they have not practiced good oral hygiene consistently. For them, individual dental insurance can help pay for treatment of gum disease and tooth decay, which can ruin a person's self-esteem and confidence. Additionally, off-colored teeth can make their smile less appreciated by their friends and family.
Finding Dental Professional Participating In Plan
Similar to doctors in the health care field, many dentists have joined together and are willing to negotiate with insurance companies for lower treatment costs. They accept the lower fees with the expectation that they will be seeing more patients. They also know the individual dental insurance does not always cover all the needed procedures and when a patient needs something done not covered by their plan, they will most likely perform the service at full price.
When a person joins an individual dental insurance plan, they will need to find a dentist that is part of that plan to keep their out-of-pocket expenses at a minimum. There are individual dental insurance plans available that pay for a considerable portion of dental care, usually at much higher premiums, but for a person who is serious about their oral care, price is typically not a concern.
Group Dental Insurance
However, for those that does have group dental insurance there is no need for them to have individual dental insurance because every dental insurance plan generally covers costs for prevention of diseases related to dentistry and will cover for cleanings, check-ups as well as for fillings. Thus, you really won't need to have individual dental insurance, though the dental insurance plan does ensure that you can keep your bills in check.
If you must have individual dental insurance then there are two categories of them to choose from and these are Preferred Provider Plans (PPO) and Indemnity Plans, and each differs from the other in how much an individual has the freedom to choose which dentist to visit to get treated. There is no doubt that PPO plans are available at lower costs as compared to Indemnity plans though the individual has restricted choice when it comes to choosing the dentist and can only visit those dentists that are present in the plan network.
Also, if a person chooses the PPO, he or she can visit doctors outside the plan network though there is a higher cost involved and may thus want to choose the indemnity plan instead which though more expensive allows for choosing any dentist that the individual wants to visit.
Another fact regarding the individual dental insurance is that it is meant to provide cover for the family of the individual as well as the policy holder him or herself, and this is a welcome feature since it makes sense to provide insurance cover for the family and since check-ups are generally covered in this type of insurance plan, it can lead to fewer complications as far as the dental health is concerned.
