What Wikipedia Can't Teach You About Dental Insurance

Many people are clueless when it comes to their dental insurance. And who can blame them? Dental insurance can be confusing! In fact, most people never fully understand their dental benefits. And believe it or not, there are even a few things that Wikipedia can’t teach you about dental insurance.

Dental Insurance and Health Insurance Are Totally Different Things

It sounds obvious, but what do we mean when say that dental insurance and health insurance are totally different? The biggest difference between health insurance and dental insurance is that dental benefits focus on stopping problems before they start, while health benefits focus on remedying injury and illness.

This is why most dental insurance policies include complete coverage for 2 hygiene visits each year yet don’t offer much assistance with restorative work. The idea is that if you keep your mouth healthy, you (hopefully) won’t need as much additional dental treatment.

All Dental Policies Offered By An Insurance Company Are Not Necessarily The Same

Frequently people are under the impression that their dental benefits are dictated by the insurance company their policy is under. For example, they may believe that because they have MetLife insurance and because their friend has MetLife insurance, the two of them essentially have the same coverage. This is almost never the case.

Think of it this way; Just because you drive a Ford doesn’t mean that your car is the exact same as someone else who drives a Ford. You may have a different model, a different color, or have different options on your car than they do even though you both have Ford’s. Dental insurance works similarly in that one brand of insurance may offer thousands of different features, options and choices. Typically these variables are negotiated by your employer and have very little to do with the insurance company itself.

All Dental Policies Offered By Your Employer Are Not Necessarily The Same

To make it even more complicated, all insurance plans offered through a single employer are not necessarily the same. In fact, one employer may offer 2, 5, or 10 different plans depending on the needs of their different employees. So don’t be surprised if your dental coverage varies from your coworkers’.

Conclusion

We know there are many myths about dental insurance out there, which is why we feel it’s important to educate our patients about how to most effectively utilize their dental benefits. Dental insurance just so happens to be one of those things that even Wikipedia can’t fully teach you about. So when it doubt, just ask!

What questions do you have bout dental insurance? Do you fully understand your dental benefits? Leave us a comment and let us know!