When visiting the dentist, whether for routine care or an urgent concern, it’s important to understand how your dental plan works to make the most of your coverage and reduce the amount you have to pay out of pocket. Continue reading to learn more about what you need to know about dental insurance and how it can benefit you.

Learn About Your Plan

Learning about your specific insurance carrier and plan and how it works can feel overwhelming, so don’t be afraid to ask questions. What you need to know about dental care can feel complicated, but you’re not alone. Reading about your plan is only the first step.

As you read through it, it may be helpful to make a list of any questions you have or anything that may be confusing. Call your insurance company and ask for clarification or an explanation of anything you don’t feel like you understand fully. They will have the answers to your questions about coverage for routine visits, emergencies, and specific treatments that your dentist may not know since dentists typically deal with many different insurance carriers. Insurance carriers and plans can vary widely, so always check to see what your plan covers and what it may not.

Check with Medicare

When considering what you need to know about dental insurance, researching other alternatives can be important.

If you have Medicare coverage, check with them first before deciding what additional coverage you may need. Medicare provides government-run medical assistance to seniors ages 65 and older, and may provide in-hospital coverage for some dental emergencies, but often does not cover most dental care such as cleanings, fillings, tooth extractions, dentures, implants, bridges, and other common procedures and devices. Being aware of what is covered and what is not before an emergency can save a lot of expense and worry in the long run.

Talk to Your Dental Office

Making an appointment with your dentist can be a great place to start to find out about what you need to know about dental insurance and what coverage you may need. Your dentist can help you come up with a schedule of recommended routine care and any additional procedures that may be needed so that you can figure out what kind of coverage will work best with your budget and dental care needs. Knowing beforehand what is needed and what to expect can do a lot to reduce stress and save you from unexpected and out of pocket expenses.

If dental care is important to you, then dental insurance is a great option to invest in to ensure you make the most of your money and the care that you receive, and never have to worry about delaying what you need.

Call our Greenwood Village Dental Office to make an appointment with a dentist who may be able to help you find out more about this topic, and improve your oral health.