Your Dental Health Insurance Plan - Does it Cover Everything it Needs To?

Whether you get to take advantage of a dental plan through your health benefits at work or you've simply gone out and bought your own individual dental health insurance plan, does yours cover everything that it needs to? Chances are it doesn't - and you don't even know it!

The next time you go to write one of your monthly premium checks, sit down and see if your dental health insurance plan is really as good as you think it is. If it's missing coverage for valuable services and treatments, you could be doing a whole lot better!

For example, your dental plan may have great monthly premium rates, but it doesn't cover the cost of routine dental services. Typically, a good dental health insurance plan will not include the cost of routine stuff - like cleanings and x-rays - in your deductible. That way, your insurance company foots the bill for all or part of those costs. For you, it means getting coverage right away, before you meet your deductible. For the insurance company, it means paying for a few routine cleanings - instead of costlier services later, because you neglected your teeth.

Does your Dental Insurance cover Orthodontics?

One of the biggest things that dental insurance plans overlook - that most people never notice - is orthodontic insurance. You may think that your dental health insurance plan covers the services and treatments you need at the orthodontist, but many of these plans don't. Unfortunately, most people don't find this out until it's too late - and they need braces or some other costly orthodontic service that isn't covered by their dental insurance.

In many cases, you can add orthodontic insurance to your dental health plan. However, you usually have to do it within a certain time frame - like right at the beginning of your policy period, or 30 days before you get braces applied. Otherwise, you could be out of luck.

If your dental plan doesn't cover the cost of orthodontic services - even as an add-on - you are not completely out of luck. Many companies will offer separate orthodontic insurance at an affordable rate. That way, you can have it in addition to your employer's dental health insurance plan or your own individual dental policy. Just remember - you will have to pay a separate monthly premium for it.

If your dental plan isn't as good as it should be, don't panic. There are plenty of companies out there that can offer you better coverage… You just have to know where to look!