How Discount Dental Plans Can Help You
You see that your pearly white teeth are showing whenever you smile in front of the mirror. Then again, you remember, it’s time for your oral prophylaxis – the general cleaning and check up of your teeth, which happens every six months. Luckily, you have your discount dental plan card, fully paid for the year, with you. It is your golden ticket to get all the treatments you need, without stressing your budget.
What is a Discount Dental Plan?
Just what is a Discount Dental Plan? It is a financial plan in which a financing company pays for dentist’s fees and provides discounts for certain dental procedures. One either pays for it monthly; if not in full, you can pay for it annually to avail of discounts. Remember, don’t be mistake this plan for full coverage dental insurance – which is an agreement wherein you pay the premiums monthly, covering 80%-100% of the costs per dental visit – because they are a lot different.
Discount Dental Plan over Dental Insurance
A discount dental plan, somehow, is a better choice because of the following reasons:
- DISCOUNTED PAYMENTS: The sound of a discount in dental payments surely catches your attention, given that dental care connotes high fees. It may be just cleaning or pasta or what not in general, but dental treatments are generally expensive. You might as well save cash in the process, through the discounts handed out by dental plans.
Once you have availed of a plan, you automatically get a discounted price of the procedure. The discount ranges from 10%-60%, depending on what kind of discount dental plan you have applied for. Normally, such discounts can be availed in any dental procedure. Just remember that you have to pay in cash, strictly.
In relation to dental insurance, besides paying for a premium every month and surely there are deductibles in the contract, you would not get any discounts unless your dentist is a close friend or relative. Having connections, after all, is an advantage of its own, but that’s an entirely different story.
- AVAILABILITY AND ACTIVATION: If you are thinking of getting this specific plan, it’s as easy as applying, paying its monthly dues or paying in full for the annual fee, and you are good to go. Be sure though of the plan you are applying for, since there are different discount dental plans being offered by various companies.
After paying, you will get a card that displays your membership. You can immediately make use of the plan, as compared to dental insurance – which takes around 6 months before it is activated. You have no choice but to wait for the designated start of your membership before your dental expenses are covered.
- COVERAGE: With this plan, most of the dental procedures are covered, possibly reflecting that wide pearly white smile plastered on your face. Knowing the significant discount that you can obtain, surely, the dental procedure, which may cover your immediate and future concerns, is lower than its usual price.
As compared to dental insurance, there are selected procedures that it can only cover. The other procedures not part of the contract must be paid. You’ll might having to pay more than what you expected, in some cases.
- UNLIMITED CHARGES: With dental insurance, there is a price limit as to how much it can pay for dental care. Assuming you are insured for 1,500 and your dental care goes over this amount, you are responsible for paying the said price. Whereas in the plan, there are no limits set for dental care. No matter how many dental cleaning procedures you get, your payment is still discounted.
- QUALIFIED DENTISTS: Take note that in a plan, it is only effective to those dentists who honor it. They may be pre-selected dentists but rest assured they are qualified professionals. You might like to ask if your family dentist is part of the program.
- EXISTING DENTAL CONDITIONS: Existing dental conditions are recognized in a dental plan. If you have a decaying premolar tooth, then it is acknowledged. The plan can be used for such cases and you still get to avail of the discount on the said procedure.
However, with dental insurance, whatever pre-existing dental conditions that you have will not be acknowledged and covered when the insurance takes effect. Not only will you be paying for it in full, but also it would seem useless even if its conditions had already taken effect.
Hopefully, given this information, it would help you in how you can use the dental discount plan to your full advantage. Though it is necessary for you to look for participating dentists, your savings from the discount(s) availed is all worth it. Not only do you have that shining white teeth, you are still well-off. Now go get a discount dental plan.