How Can Not Having Dental Insurance
Cost me a Fortune?
Going to the dentist has a reputation for being a less than pleasant
experience whether deserved or not. Imagine how unpleasant that
experience would be if at the end of it, you were handed a bill of
hundreds of dollars if not thousands of dollars. The fact is dental
procedures are more expensive than ever. Even routine procedures like
X-rays, check-ups, and cleanings can cost you dearly. If you don’t have
dental insurance, you are responsible for paying entire fee at the time
of service unless you have worked out a payment plan with the dentist
ahead of time.
There is a better way. Get dental insurance. The concept of insurance is
very simple. You accept risk you can afford (premiums) in exchange for
risk you cannot afford (the payout). By paying low monthly premiums for
dental insurance, you are protecting yourself from having to shoulder
the full brunt of the cost of dental procedures that you may need in the
future.
Without dental insurance, you may not be able to afford all of the oral
care your teeth and gums require. Putting off needed dental care can
have serious repercussions on your teeth and gums. It can cause serious
decay in your teeth, which in turn often causes severe pain. Eventually,
you will need even more expensive procedures to save your decaying
teeth, or you will lose them altogether. The more teeth that have a
problem, the greater the cost to repair them. Emergency visits to the
dentist can also cost you a fortune. Dental fees vary greatly from
dentist to dentist and region to region, but in general, they aren’t
cheap. Dental insurance on the other hand often is. It only makes sense
to protect yourself from having to pay exorbitant bills for access to
quality dental care.
If you have children, your dental bills will multiply. Children’s teeth
are particularly susceptible to cavities, and often require fillings or
sealants. It’s important to get your children into the habit of visiting
the dentist regularly so that they carry on the practice into their
adult lives. Without dental insurance, your family could easily be
looking at several thousand dollars a year in dental fees.
The good news is there are many different types of dental insurance
available to you for affordable monthly payments. Often your premium is
less than $15 a month depending on what type of coverage you choose.
Employee dental coverage is the best option by far. Typically available
for the whole family, employee dental coverage is usually the most
comprehensive and least expensive choice. It would be foolish to deny
employee dental coverage when it has the potential to save you so much
money while contributing to the state of your health. Individual dental
insurance plans are also available for people who are self-employed,
unemployed, or work for businesses that don’t offer dental benefits.
These insurance plans usually cost more and provide slightly less
coverage, but they are still better than no coverage at all.
Dental insurance has its limits, however, and you should be aware that
most dental policies do not cover all of your dental expenses. Even the
best dental insurance will only cover around 80% of the basic dental
procedures such as root canals, fillings, and extractions. Sometimes
preventative procedures also require a co-payment. However, even with a
co-payment, dental insurance usually saves you a significant amount of
money. |