What value does dental insurance offer other than twice yearly checkups?

Some dental insurance plans may only cover a check-up and cleaning every six months. However, other plans may offer coverage for preventive measures like sealants, dental emergencies, and/or part of the cost for dental procedures like wisdom teeth removal and placement of dental implants. Some dental insurance may even include partial coverage of orthodontic treatments like braces (your or your child’s favorite thing about middle school!!).

Not to mention, many diseases or complications associated with diseases can be identified and/or managed simply based on oral care.

So before you decide that dental insurance is not for you, make a few calls and ask a few questions. You may find out that keeping that perfect smile looking and feeling like a million bucks is worth it.

If you use your dental insurance twice yearly – that’s the best investment in you. It means that you take your health – not just your oral health – very seriously. Beyond that, your dental carrier may offer a wealth of resources to help you understand the inner workings of the teeth and gums, new trends in cosmetic dentistry or updated procedures such as the use of implants, and, more importantly, the role the mouth plays for the rest of the body.

If you have the same carrier for both medical and dental, most likely there are wellness and/or integration programs. Through these programs you’ll begin to understand the effect oral disease has on other medical conditions and can help you become a better health care consumer.

Check with your carrier or your employer to learn more about what your dental insurance offers beyond great coverage.