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Dental Coverage Now Saves
Big Money Later
By
Drew Harris
Simply put, if you
don't go to the dentist regularly now, you will
later, and it will cost you thousands of dollars
more.
Many families end
up forking out over $8,000 for dental procedures
and repairs in later years. This is because they
couldn't afford regular, twice a year dental
check-ups in the early years of their marriages
and families.
I have always known
going to the dentist mattered more than whether I
had dental coverage or not. Yet if ever there was
a person with a good excuse not go to the dentist
regularly, it was me.
At the age of 8, my
dentist was having trouble freezing my mouth.
After 45 minutes without success, he drilled into
my cheek.
Later that week, my
mother sat me down and told me that this
particular dentist had snapped, killing his ex
wife, her boyfriend and himself.
No kidding, I
thought at the time. That memory still sends
shivers down my back, even nearly 30 years later.
Yet despite this, I
have always made myself go to the dentist. That
has been particularly true for the last 12 years
as a parent of two girls.
Dental Associations
recommend that you have a dental cleaning and
check-up every six months. Without dental
coverage, regular dental visits will cost about
$100 to $140 a year for two visits. Brushing is
vital, as is flossing. Children are supposed to
floss daily.
Earlier on, I
waited too long to go to the dentist about two
problem teeth. By the time they were looked at, I
was facing a $1,000 bill for root canals if I
wanted them saved. There was no way I could afford
that, so I had the teeth pulled.
For that same
amount of money, $100 per month, I could have
provided my family nine years of dental coverage.
Dental coverage
options today include dental insurance, offered as
part of company benefits packages through
employers.
For many, many
people though, this is not an available option due
to growing unemployment, downsizing, or reduced
company benefits.
As a result, people
have started looking online to explore their
dental benefit options.
The most popular
question being asked is what is the difference
between Dental Insurance and Discount Dental
Plans.
Dental insurance is
utilized by large groups and businesses to cover
their employee's dental care. Monthly premiums are
paid for defined coverage. Premiums for dental
insurance may be as much as $30 per month for
individuals and over $100 per month for family
plans.
Dental insurance is
not readily accessible to individuals and
families. There are annual spending maximums,
deductibles, waiting periods for certain
procedures, and limitations and exclusions on
care. Dental coverage will include the cost of
preventive services (such as cleanings and exams)
at 100% after deductibles are met.
For millions of
North Americans, discount dental plans are an
ideal form of dental coverage when benefits are
not available through their work. The plans are
designed to provide consumers access to dental
networks at reduced rates.
The big plus is the
plans are affordable to join and are the most
widely available dental programs for individuals
and families.
The plans work
differently than insurance but offer real and
substantive cost savings on dental procedures.
Dental coverage includes secured discounts on most
dental services, such as dental exams, routine
cleanings, fillings, extractions, root canals,
dentures, crowns, and braces.
Most discount
dental plans provide a fee schedule with the
discounted fees listed out in the membership
materials.
In some cases,
dental insurance and discount dental plans can be
used together in certain situations to maximize
savings.
For years, my wife
and I used dental plans. In recent years, we now
both have dental insurance through our employers.
While the type and
level of our dental coverage has varied through
the years, we have always made ongoing dental
health a priority.
Dental-coverage.net
is a huge web portal resource for dental plans,
dental coverage and dental insurance. Featuring
hundreds of pages of resources, reviews, referrals
and ideas. One stop source for your dental
coverage needs.
http://tinyurl.com/53wlk
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