What is Dental Insurance?
If you’ve ever visited the dentist, then you have likely been required to provide dental insurance information when filling out your paperwork. Similarly, if you have dental insurance and have needed more extensive dental work done, you may have been in contact with both your dental office and your dental insurance company to iron out all the details.
On the other hand, there are many people who don’t have dental insurance. While health insurance is important to most and provided through many people’s employers, dental insurance isn’t always treated the same way. Some employers don’t provide dental insurance, or only provide certain levels of insurance. Similarly, some people may opt out of paying for dental insurance (which hopefully means they are not opting out of going to the dentist regularly.)
But what exactly is dental insurance? What is the difference between dental insurance and health insurance?
Everything You Need to Know About Dental Insurance
To put it simply, dental insurance is insurance that covers the costs associated with dental care. Historically, dental insurance has been separate from health insurance, though, as mentioned, many employers offer both types of insurance to their employees.
While dental insurance plans can differ from one another, most cover, at minimum, regular teeth cleanings and at least partially cover other dental needs like oral surgeries, dentures, and braces. The specifics of dental insurance varies based on the insurance plan purchased, and can often determine which dentists you are able to see. While there are usually dentists available in most towns that take a good variety of dental insurances, some insurance companies only serve certain areas of the country or are more predominant in certain states.
As with other types of insurance, dental insurance plans usually have deductibles that must be met before treatments can be covered. Similarly, many dental insurance plans have caps that limit the total amount (usually per coverage year) that the insurance plan will pay out for dental procedures.
The Difference Between Dental Insurance and Health Insurance
While it might seem obvious at first what the differences are in the types of health insurance, there can sometimes be overlap when it comes to what health insurance and dental insurance will cover. Dental insurance will almost exclusively cover healthcare in regards to the teeth, but it typically does not cover treatment for other mouth-related issues such as cancers or getting tonsils removed.
Similarly, sometimes pain in the mouth is not caused by a tooth and can be treated through your regular doctor with antibiotics and other medications, and in that instance the treatment would be covered under health insurance, not dental insurance.
The good news with both dental insurance and health insurance is that if you are insured with both types of insurance, you will likely have at least some coverage for any health issues you encounter with your teeth or mouth!
If you are interested in learning more about the dental insurances we work with at G Dental 32 or have general questions about dental insurance, we are here to help! Contact us today to get started.
