How do I Choose the Best Dental Plan?

As you attempt to choose the best dental plan, you may start by considering which plans will allow you to patronize your current dentist. If you are not committed to a dentist, however, you may consider the dentists from which you will be allowed to choose before making a decision. You may also compare dental plans based on the amount of coverage each will provide, the limits on yearly benefits, and the manner in which your dentist will receive payment. Additionally, you may do well to consider the procedures a plan will cover and the premiums you will have to pay to maintain the plan.

Your current dentist is an important consideration as you attempt to choose the best dental plan. If you have a dentist you like and trust, you may want to choose a plan he accepts. On the other hand, if you are not committed to sticking with your current dentist for an extended period of time, you may have more choices available to you.

As you compare your options, you may research the qualifications and reputations of dentists who are included in each plan’s network or compare plans that allow you to choose your own dentist rather than pick one from a plan’s list. You may also learn what will happen if you need to see a different dentist because of an emergency or while you are out of town. Additionally, you may learn how a dental plan you are considering will handle requests to see a specialist rather than a general dentist.

The amount of coverage you will have may also prove important when you are trying to choose the best dental coverage. You may consider your dental care needs and then evaluate a plan in light of the number of dental visits you will be entitled to each year and the procedures that will be covered. For example, you may want a plan that covers exams, cleanings, fillings, and crowns. You may also want a plan that covers oral surgery and orthodontia. Orthodontia coverage may prove especially important if you have children.

It also may prove important to consider payment for dental care when you are trying to choose the best dental plan. For example, you may consider a plan that requires you to pay a co-pay and then pays bills that are submitted by your dentist’s office. You may also consider a plan that requires you to pay for dental care and then reimburses you for the money you spend. Additionally, you may compare plans based on the percentage of dental care for which it will pay and the limits on the amount of coverage it will provide for each year. For example, a dental plan may pay for 70 percent of your treatment costs and set a limit of $5,000 US Dollars (USD) worth of benefits in a given year.

Cost may also prove important in choosing the best dental plan. It is usually, however, a poor idea to choose the cheapest dental plan based on price alone. Instead, you may be more satisfied if you compare plans based on their features and then choose the cheapest of the plans that meets your needs.