WHAT DOES THE AVERAGE DENTAL INSURANCE COST?
The most typical indication that something is wrong with our teeth is pain. Our first reaction is to make it go away. We reach for the medicine cabinet. The pain goes away, but the ‘root’ cause is still there.
Even the best-stocked medicine cabinet does not contain a cure. You will find only temporary pain relief and a way of postponing that inevitable visit to the dentist’s office.
Usually, the cause is tooth decay (caries, often the cause of ‘bad breath’) or gum disease (gingivitis, receding gums), both of which can only be cured (arrested) by a visit to the dentist. Like most dental conditions, regular personal oral care, such as brushing teeth and flossing, can reduce the occurrence of these diseases and the need for visits to the dentist.
For many people, pain is the first signal they need to visit their dentist! Why do we leave it so late? Top of the list is cost. Nearly 60% of us who do not see our dentist regularly give cost as the reason.
The average dental insurance cost
Cosmetic dentistry is typically not covered by dental insurance, and these costs are not included in the statistics quoted in this article.
Before we talk about Dental Health Plans and how to choose one, we should remind you that if you or your spouse are a member of a group (employer-sponsored) ACA-compliant health plan or qualify for Medicare, DENTAL INSURANCE IS INCLUDED FOR YOUR DEPENDENT CHILDREN under the age of 18. Preventative care is free of add-on charges (co-pays, co-insurances). Dental disease is the classic case of prevention being better than cure. Do not wait for a child’s first tooth to erupt. Make an appointment between 6 and 12 months (American Dental Association) or sooner if you notice anything abnormal in your child’s mouth, e.g., lesions, white spots, or bleeding.
Nearly 20% said they did not visit the dentist because either time or location was inconvenient. Do not let it stop you from putting your children on the right track.
Some health plans (HMOs or PPOs) will cover 100% of the cost of preventative dental care for adults. This can lessen the need for emergency visits and the likelihood of uncomfortable interventions.
DENTAL INSURANCE PLAN TYPES
Just like Healthcare, there are affordable dental insurance plans to suit your situation. If you are considering Dental Insurance, do not wait until the last minute. Please do it now! For some procedures (expensive ones), insurers insist on a waiting period before you can claim benefits. You cannot blame them. If they did not, everyone would wait to insure themselves until they were desperate, and…they would be refused anyway.
The cost of coverage will depend on your age, tobacco use, and location. But do not despair. Typically, a low-cost Indemnity Dental Insurance can cost as little as $10 per month and offers you a 30-40% discount on list-price treatments. Of course, there are limitations, but it will ease the pain of dental visits.
There are three main types.
- Indemnity Dental Insurance – IDS
- Dental Preferred Provider Organization – DPPO
- Dental Health Maintenance Organization – DHMO
IDS
Indemnity Dental Insurance (fee-for-service) plans are like Indemnity Health Plans. Strictly speaking, they are not insurance plans. They are more like club cards. For a relatively small fee (premium), you will be entitled to a discount when visiting any dentist you choose. You will pay a set amount for the service negotiated by the insurer with the dentist. Some insurance companies require you to pay the whole bill and submit a claim, which will be settled based on what they consider “usual, customary, and reasonable” fees.
Monthly premiums can range from less than $20 to $50 per month (individual) and from $50 to $150 per month (family).
There will probably be a cap ($2,000-$3,000) on annual benefits, but it is a straightforward way to make dental care costs more affordable.
DPPO
Dental Preferred Provider Organization plans, plans, negotiate lower rates with ‘their’ preferred providers (the network).
The terms will vary depending on your insurer, but most operate the ‘100-80-50’ rule. If you attend a preferred provider, your plan will likely cover (depending on your choice of insurance provider): –
- 100% of your preventative care services
- Eighty percent of defined basic procedures
- Fifty percent of ‘major’ procedures (crowns might be an example).
As with most insurance, there are limitations. There will be maximum benefits in each calendar year, deductibles, and, with most insurances, an interval before you claim for specific procedures.
Depending on the level of coverage you choose, premiums range from $45 to $60 per month.
DHMO
Dental Health Maintenance Organization plans emphasize the importance of preventative care. The monthly premiums are relatively low, and plans have no waiting period before coverage begins. There is often no deductible or annual limit on benefits or claims to make. But to gain the full financial advantage of your plan, you usually have to stay within the DMHO network, which may be relatively limited. For this reason, DHMO premiums are generally lower than DPPO.
Check-ups, cleaning, and X-rays are generally covered in full. Depending on your plan choice, specific major or restorative procedures may be excluded or 50% co-insured.
COST OF DENTAL INSURANCE
Of course, it depends on your plan and whether you opt for family coverage. Can you or your spouse join a group (usually an employment-based scheme)?
As a rough guide, you can reckon on $25-40 per month (individual) or $65-$95 for a family. The average premium in the USA, but age, location, out-of-pocket expenses, and family size are often far more significant than the premium itself.
All this may sound like a lot of money, but you must also consider the cost of dental services without dental insurance. A session of dental cleaning averages around $200; an extraction averages over $300, and a dental crown costs as much as $2,500. Since preventative treatment (annual) usually is 100% covered, appropriate dental insurance is good. This is especially true of young children. Their oral well-being can be critical, and the habit of dental visits should last a lifetime.
HOW TO FIND AFFORDABLE DENTAL INSURANCE
A qualified health insurance advisor will also have the skills to guide you through the maze of options that anyone searching for the best affordable dental insurance faces. As with health insurance, they will give you unbiased advice based on your specific circumstances.
