What Should You Do If You Don’t Have Dental Insurance

Jul 7th, 2023
Easton Dentists Jul 13th, 2023

As we age, our teeth become more prone to fracture and possess a greater risk for decay. Over a period of time, the old fillings will weaken the teeth. This is not the best time to put your dental health on hold.

Yet, many people in their fifties and sixties do not have a dental provider either because they are self-employed, have retired or work part-time. Medicare does not cover the majority of dental care, like fillings, cleanings, dentures, tooth extractions, dental plates or additional dental devices; Part A just pays for specific dental services you might get while hospitalized.

The ACA (Affordable Care Act) will make dental insurance for kids amongst the required ten critical health benefits, yet there isn’t any dental insurance requirement for those over 18 years of age.

Though all of this sounds bad for the uninsured, you’ll still have some choices for obtaining great dental care at an affordable price:

1. Search for a dentist that has a payment plan. Most dentists provide a payment arrangement which will replace insurance. You’ll pay a yearly fee, typically over time, without any financing and interest.

If it’s not possible to locate a dentist in your area that has an affordable-payment plan, look for pro-bono services.

2. Look for events providing low-cost or free dentistry at America’s Dentists Care Foundation, Dentistry From the Heart, or upon your state’s dental association site.

3. Visit a dental school. National Institute of Dental & Craniofacial Research states that dental schools provide reduced cost, good quality dental treatment. Many have clinics in which students get experience treating patients as licensed, knowledgeable dentists supervise their work. You will locate a listing of accredited dental programs upon the American Dental Association site.

To discuss your dental insurance company plans with Dr. Gilmer’s staff contact Easton Dental Center at (614) 414-0111.

How To Choose The Right Dental Plan For You

Jan 22nd, 2023
Easton Dentists Oct 5th, 2023

Here are some useful tips for choosing the right dental plan for you:

1. If you presently have a regular dental provider, ask her/him for a recommendation. If you are seeing a favorite dentist that you’d love to keep visiting, check with that dental professional about what plans she/he belongs to. Dental professionals also are great resources to learn what plans you should avoid.

2. Select a dental insurer that has experience and great reputation. If you are unfamiliar with a certain dental insurance provider, call the Better Business Bureau in your area or additional consumer protection agency.

3. Coverage Comparison. Compare all plans you are considering within these areas:

Yearly maximum: It’s the maximum quantity the plan pays for services within a given year for coverage (adult). $1,000 is standard for the majority of plans, although some might provide less and some might provide more.

Deductible: It’s the quantity you’ll pay prior to the benefits of the plan kicking in. Usually, the deductible resets every year.

What is covered, and at which level: Many dental plans categorize dental procedures in 1 of 3 categories: preventive and diagnostic, major restorative, and basic restorative, and assign a payment percentage for all categories. However, plans may vary as far as what category a service is thought to be: for example, root canals, might be within the basic restorative services classification of one plan, and within the major restorative services classification of an additional one. The difference within the quantity paid by the plan might be several hundred dollars. Prior to purchasing a dental insurance plan, think about which services you’ve needed in the past as one way of predicting which kinds of services you’ll require in the future.

Coverage for kids: The ACA (Affordable Care Act) involves coverage for kid’s dental care.

What isn’t covered: Some kinds of services aren’t covered whatsoever – for example, corrective orthodontics often isn’t covered within individual dental plans. A few procedures, like teeth whitening, might be excluded. Waiting periods might be imposed for a few services. Once again, prior to purchasing a dental insurance plan, think about which services you’ve needed in the past as one method of predicting which kinds of services you’ll require in the future.

4. Review networks. A few dental plans will require that you to obtain all services from a dentist inside their network. Many plans permit you to visit any dentist you want, yet there’ll be advantages if you visit a dentist participating in the plan’s network. Therefore, if you already possess a regular dentist, see if she/he is a network provider for the plan you are considering. Plus, if you do not have a dentist, search the plan’s provider network to see how many network providers are within your locality.

To discuss your dental insurance company plans contact Easton Dentist (Serving Columbus, Gahanna, Westerville, and New Albany areas) at (614) 414-0111.

Are Dental Benefits Really Necessary?

May 13th, 2019
Easton Dentists Jun 3rd, 2019

Should you find that your employer offers dental benefits (or a potential employer) , then you are in a great position and should take advantage of those dental benefits, because they are the one of the best employee benefits you can find. Fewer and fewer employers have dental benefits plus health benefits, so if you find yourself in a position where they are available to you, taking your employer up on that option only makes sense. And, no, you should not wait until you have an urgent need to see an emergency dentist before making this decision.

Why do employers get the best benefits?

Sheer numbers are the main reason why employers are able to get the best dental benefits. They can offer the insurance company higher premiums – this is because the employee pays a portion of the premium, and the rest is paid by the employer. Multiplied by several employees, and especially within large corporations where there can be several thousand employees, the insurance company will be receiving high premiums each month. The insurance companies then offer large companies excellent rates on their insurance policies, because they know the overall contract will be large. This allows employers to offer better overall dental plans to their employees than the employees would be able to get on their own.

When a dentist joins a dental network, they agree to offer discounted benefits to those on the plan. This discount can be as much as thirty-five percent. Dentists are also monitored to ensure that all patients are receiving quality care.

Many employers split the cost of the dental plan with their employees, which means that the employees can have affordable dental insurance benefits, which are typically better than individual dental insurance policies, for the same or less cost than an individual dental policy. When they go to the dentist, a portion of all bills will be paid by the insurance company, with a co payment due from the insured patient. This is better than a dental discount program, which simply offers discounted dental care and may be limited in its scope of coverage, although most typically cover visits to an emergency dentist.

Regardless of your current insurance situation, remember that your emergency dentist is always available. Call today to set up an appointment.

The Dental Care Gap

Aug 30th, 2017
Easton Dentists Sep 11th, 2017

When they find themselves in severe pain, uninsured individuals tend to wind up in local emergency rooms. If their pain is caused by a broken bone or a ruptured appendix, they’ll receive the care they need immediately. On the other hand, if their pain is the result of rotting teeth and dental abscesses, they’ll receive little care. They may be given a pill for the pain or an antibiotic to fight the infection, but that’s it.

These individuals will then be sent home and forced to seek out their own dental care. Often, this means painstakingly saving money for months, taking loans they won’t be able to pay back, or waiting for an annual free clinic to come to town. As they postpone the care they cannot afford, these individuals are forced to live in agony for weeks, and even months, at a time. In addition, this wait can allow dental problems to worsen and can pose serious health risks.

Many people out there believe it is immoral to allow the poor to live in agony simply because they cannot afford dental procedures. Dental insurance should be provided for everyone who cannot realistically afford it on their own.

At The Dental Center, we’re committed to supporting increases in affordable dental insurance, but are still waiting for members of the government to step up to the plate. Instead, we’re taking action everyday to help uninsured individuals get the dental care they need. Through his work with the Dental OPTIONS program, Dr. Gilmer is actively improving the lives of the neediest members of his community.