Having any insurance, medical or dental, is a true reflection of “YOU’RE DAMNED IF YOU DO AND YOU’RE DAMNED IF YOU DON’T”.
You’re damned if you don’t have it because medical costs are so high. You’re damned if you do because the premiums are so high for so little insurance coverage. Dental insurance has been covering less and less every year and there are even more exclusions or waiting periods.
Basically, there are 2 main types of dental insurance – HMO and PPO. HMO’s assign you to a particular dentist or clinic to go to. PPO’s allow you to be seen at any dentist. Thus PPO’s allow you more flexibility. These insurances have an annual maximum they will pay out. For PPO’s it’s usually anywhere between $500 to $2000. They also cover a percentage of the service provided, leaving you, the patient, a copay to come up with. Each policy has different exclusions like implants, orthodontics, pre-existing conditions and even white fillings! There are often waiting periods between 6 – 12 months.
In a nutshell, add up what you are paying in premiums for the year and how much you are getting from insurance. In my experience, it’s often a wash or even worse, does not cover what you need it for! Now, if you are getting insurance through your job, you may have better coverage and no wait periods, making it worthwhile to keep. Many patients are foregoing dental insurance especially if they don’t normally need much work done.
As dentists, we recommend the most ideal treatment for your situation whether your insurance will cover it or not. In my opinion, dental insurance can be great to help pay for part of your treatment but should not be used to skew the type of treatment you need. It’s our responsibility to advocate for your health.
If you have any questions, contact your dentist Dr. Charmaine Johnson at Premiere Smile Center in Fort Lauderdale will be able to guide you along your path to healthy living.
Everything I have had done at Premier Smile Center has been top-notch. The treatment I received was thorough, precise and extremely professional. I never felt like just another patient because they took the time to listen to my concerns. They addressed my issues and we agreed on the treatment plan together.
The staff is very friendly, warm and extremely knowledgeable. I felt relaxed and comfortable knowing I chose the right place to get the dental work I needed. Dr. Johnson is very humane and very knowledgeable, and she does amazing work. I like the friendliness and honesty of the whole practice. I was not confident with my smile, in fact I was very self conscious and rarely smiled. Premier Smile Center has changed all that. My smile is one of the things I like the most.