Most people don’t think about dental insurance until they have a bad tooth. Most people hate to go to the dentist. However, it is the one thing that everyone can be sure that most companies do not cover. Generally speaking, when dental insurance pays it is a portion of the total dental bill. This will help against dental expenses that may come up in an emergency.

The majority of people who have dental insurance get it through an employer. It is interesting to see that only about 57% of people have dental insurance. Many dentists do not like participating in a plan because of the paperwork it involves. Some ask that people prepay.

In many cases dental plans will not pay for the entire cost and they have a limit on what they will pay on any issue. Usually if an employer pays for part of a plan it will be a Preferred Provider Organization (PPO) plan. Some have a Dental Health Maintenance Organization (DHMO). Both of these plans are considered managed care and they have both advantages and disadvantages.

In a PPO plan, you usually will have to choose a dentist from a list that the insurance company provides. Generally the employer pays all or part of a monthly premium and if you have a part to pay, it is deducted automatically from your pay check. The difference with the DHMO plan is that is like an HMO and although you go to a dentist from the list like in the PPO plan, the DHMO will be a shorter visit because there will be more people for the dentist to see when you are in the office.

An Alternative to Dental Insurance:
Today and since the 1990’s there is an option that many people may not be aware of or may not understand the difference. These are the dental discount plans. These are not insurance, but they offer members a good discount on common dental procedures like fillings, extractions, crowns, fillings and so forth. They usually offer a discount of 30% to 50% savings.

Generally these are a good idea as an addition to your insurance or they are good if you do not have dental insurance. There are usually no annual fees and you won’t have to worry if you have a condition that started before you received the plan. Some will get you started form the first month that you pay the membership fee. The membership fee can usually be paid month, quarterly or yearly.

The caution with these plans is that you must remember that anything they do not pay will be an out of pocket expense and usually due at the time of service. For larger bills some dentists do offer payment plans. Be sure to ask your dentist before you apply this kind of discount.

Purchasing Dental Insurance on Your Own:
If you are purchasing dental insurance or a dental discount program without the aid of an employer, you might want to ask a few questions before you purchase. It is a good idea to ask them about their location, whether they are insured and check with the Better Business Bureau to see whether there have been any complaints.