Dental Insurance
Similar to health plans, dental plans are available as:
- Indemnity plans: Fee for service plans allowing total freedom of choice when selecting dental providers
- Dental PPO: Selected network plan combining freedom of choice and preferred dental providers plan.
- Dental DMO: Cost effective selected network of dental providers.
The goal is to assist you with choosing the optimal benefit level to meet your needs within a budget that makes sense.
If you'd like a quote, please send me an email along with your concerns or current plan design. A census form is available for your convenience under the "Featured Forms & Links" tab.
While dental plan designs vary, they have several common characteristics:
- Preventative services (type 1 services) that include check ups and cleanings.
- Basic services (type 2 services) that cover services for fillings and extractions.
- Major services (type 3 services) that cover services such as crowns and bridges.
- Endodontic and periodontic services may be covered as either basic or major services.
- Orthodontic services are offered as an optional benefit for children only or adult & child coverage; with a separate lifetime maximum benefit per person.
- Dental plans are commonly offered with predetermined maximum benefits payable per insured subscriber per year (ex. $1000).
The Importance of Dental Benefits
Good dental care has a significant impact on our overall well-being and productivity. Dental-related illnesses result in 164 million lost work hours and 51 million lost school hours (per every 100,000 children) in the United States each year.
Yet, just a little prevention goes a long way with dental care. A 12% increase in regular oral check-ups coincided with a 52% decrease in the number of fillings between 1979 to 1990. The United States saves $4 billion on dental care each year through prevention, early detection and treatment. While the cost of good dental care can be prohibitive for many individuals, the cost of offering a good dental plan is relatively inexpensive for an employer. In fact, dental benefits make up only 5% of the total cost of health benefits nationwide.
(source: Delta Dental of Mass)
In addition, a number of studies have also linked oral health issues with other health issues including diabetes, cancer and heart disease. If you have diabetes; it can harm your eyes, nerves, kidneys, heart and other important systems in the body. Did you know it can also cause problems in your mouth? People with diabetes have a higher than normal risk of periodontal diseases. Patients undergoing cancer treatment may be unaware that it can affect the teeth, gums, salivary glands and other oral tissues. In some cases, patients delay or stop their cancer treatment because they experience painful side effects in their mouths. According to a study published in the Journal of Periodontology (February 13, 2007), eliminating dental plaque may be an important step in preventing periodontitis and coronary artery disease. Researchers found the bacterial pathogens most frequently seen in severe chronic periodontitis were also found in atherosclerotic plaque of coronary vessels.
(source MetLife Oral Health Library