Dental Insurance – Scottsdale

Quality Dental Care at a Reasonable Cost

Maintaining an excellent oral hygiene routine at home is essential for keeping your smile healthy. However, even with consistent brushing and flossing, there will still be areas that can be difficult to reach or easy to miss. This is why regular dental cleanings and checkups are so important. If dental insurance is available to you, it can be a helpful tool for making these routine visits more affordable. However, dental insurance operates somewhat differently from the medical insurance you may already be familiar with. Continue reading to learn more about how dental insurance works and what you should know about your coverage!

How Dental Insurance Works

By paying your monthly premium, you receive access to discounts on the dental procedures and treatments you may need. While coverage can vary depending on the plan, a typical dental insurance plan may look something like this.

• 100% coverage for preventive care
• 80% coverage for basic restorative treatments
• 50% coverage for major restorative procedures

By staying consistent with regular dental checkups and cleanings, you can help prevent the need for more extensive restorative treatments, which will not be covered at the same level by your dental insurance. Here are a few important things to keep in mind.

• Dental insurance plans typically renew at the beginning of each year, and unused benefits generally do not carry over into the following year.
• You must meet your deductible before your insurance coverage begins. Your annual maximum is the set amount your insurance provider will pay toward covered services during the year. If you do not use the full annual maximum, the unused amount does not carry over and remains with the insurance provider.

What Is the Difference Between Dental & Medical Insurance?

Although medical insurance and dental insurance both provide coverage related to your health, they operate in several different ways. One of the biggest differences is that dental insurance places a strong emphasis on preventive care. For this reason, many dental plans provide full coverage for routine cleanings and checkups. By encouraging patients to receive regular preventive care, these plans can help reduce the likelihood of needing more complex procedures, such as root canals or tooth extractions, in the future.

In-Network vs. Out-of-Network

When you are choosing a dentist to receive care from, it is key to know if they are in-network or out-of-network. Here’s how this works.