Is dental insurance actually worth the money? The answer depends on how you use your coverage, whether your dentist is in-network, and whether your plan fits the type of dental care you and your family need.
My name is Dan Jung with MBhealth Insurance Agency here in St. Louis, Missouri, located in the Affton area. Today, I want to talk about what most people get wrong about dental insurance.
The first question I get quite often is, “Is dental coverage even worth it?” I want to go over three quick points as to why I believe coverage is worth it, plus what’s very important to be aware of when looking for dental insurance.
Take Advantage of Preventive Dental Care
The first thing is you’ve got to get your routine preventive services done. If you don’t, then I would flat out tell you dental insurance is not worth the money you’re paying for it monthly. But if you go once every six months, that preventive care service is typically covered at 100%.
That is very important, in my opinion, to at least break even for what you’re paying. It can also make sure you’re catching potential health conditions early. Dental health can be linked to a lot of other health issues that can be caught sooner if you get routine preventive care.
Understand the Savings Your Plan Can Provide
Where dental insurance really pays off is if you’ve got to get a filling, a root canal, an implant, or orthodontic care (for children under 19).
Those are the things that you need the discount on. And the discount can be very deep, depending on the carrier and the plan that we look at; or, it can at least help you have an estimated cost of how much you’re going to pay.
Knowing your amount can be very beneficial when you’re going to the dentist. That’s where I think you’ve got to really know that the discount is important. A lot of dentists offer their own plans, but part of that is because so many people don’t have dental insurance and don’t understand that they can really get a good discount.
Make Sure Your Dentist Is In-Network
The next thing that we want to talk about is your network and who your dentist is.
I’m not going to put you in a plan that doesn’t have the dentist you go to because then you’re not going to get the advantages that you need.
So, your network—making sure that it fits the product, whether that be a Delta or a UnitedHealthcare plan or however that may play into your family’s scenario—is something we want to make sure we’re looking at.
Find a Dental Plan That Fits Your Needs
Fitting your needs is the most important piece of a dental plan. Talking with a consultant who knows the products and works with them on a daily basis is how you’re going to make sure that getting a dental plan wasn’t the wrong decision.
Call us here at MBhealth Insurance Agency to help you through that process at (314) 544-5400, or look us up at mbhealth.com.
