Many patients ask me all the time: Should I get Dental Insurance? If you can, the answer is usually yes. I say usually because you need to consider how much insurance you will get in consideration of your monthly payments to an insurance company.
There are many benefits to having dental insurance. The number one reason to have it is to pay for dental care. Whether it’s your six month teeth cleanings, or yearly X rays, or something even larger like a crown, it’s nice to have insurance to pay for either all of your service or a percentage. Having insurance is an incentive for people to maintain good dental hygiene as most insurance plans cover 100% of preventative care. You can learn more about understanding dental insurance here.
Don’t wait to buy coverage. You might be thinking you’ll wait until you need major work or an emergency arises to get dental insurance. That’s really not a good idea since a lot of insurance plans have waiting periods of 6-12 months for basic and major work. That could be a long time to wait to fix a broken front tooth or wait with a tooth ache.
Will you spend more on your monthly premiums or would it be better to just pay out of pocket. The average premium averages at $50 a month. That’s $600 a year. If you only need your two cleanings and check up x rays for the year, you will lose a little over a $100. However, most people need an occasional cavity over the years or even more work and utilize most, if not all of their benefits. If your employer is paying part of your plan, it almost always makes sense as it will save you money. It’s important for you to look at the plans offered to you and decide if it will work for you. If you have specific questions, please call our office and we can help you choose a dental plan that works best for you or your family.
