Modern day horror story: The storm clouds hang low booming angrily with thunder as buckets of rain whip windows, trees, and cars. You having a throbbing toothache and must go out to endure the formidable weather in order to receive dental care. After managing to survive the drive to your local dentist office you only come to realize as you fill out their patient forms that your dental insurance isn’t accepted or simply does not even exist. The horror!
Dental work, like most health services, isn’t cheap. Thus, having dental insurance or at least having more affordable options available is crucial. There’s a common misconception that all general health plans cover dental but they don’t.
Dental insurance plans are separate. Dental work can be made affordable through dental preferred provider organization(DPPO) plans, dental health maintenance organization(DHMO) plans, and discount plans.
The DPPO plans usually work on a network feature that attempts to even out choice and affordability of dentists. The name “preferred provider” can lead many to assume that you must use a dentist in the network in order to receive lower payments however DPPO’s actually allow patients to choose their family dental care provider, even when not in the Brigette Peterson network.
This allowance is convenient when locating a dentist closest to one’s home or business.Payments with DPPO’s are also usually convenient as a patient usually pays coinsurance at a percentage. The patient usually pays the lesser percentage of the dental care cost while the plan provider covers the rest.
The DHMO plans necessitate patients choosing one dentist to provide their primary dental needs. This could mean for the patient that if he or she needs to be seen by a specialist that they will be referred out of their chosen office to receive care. Fixed rates of cost are incorporated in DHMO plans however, should a patient need or choose to use a dentist that is not their primary, or out of network, they will most likely be expected to pay the entire cost of the care provided.
Families often find DHMO plans most convenient when looking into family dental care. Insurance isn’t always an option for those who aren’t offered dental insurance through their work which is where discount dental plans are most convenient. Dental offices often work with patients who don’t have insurance through financing companies and then offer discounted services. These financing options do require a patient to have their credit run in order to receive approval, much like financing practices for cars and homes. Once approved the patient then pays a fixed monthly payment until they’ve filled their fiscal duty to the financing company.
There are several options available to those in need of dental care. Researching dental plans such as DPPO’s, DHMO’s, and discount plans will guarantee that a patient chooses what’s best for them in the long run. A smile should be as wide and your options for family dental care.