Are you one of the roughly 77% of Americans who have dental insurance? Naturally, you want to use your valuable dollars and benefits to cover all of your smile-related needs, even unplanned ones. But do dental plans include emergency visits as well? Keep reading to find out!
So, Does Dental Insurance Cover Emergency Dentistry?
First, it’s important to remember that dental plans aren’t identical from patient to patient. On the contrary, your benefits depend entirely on the fine print on your individual or company plan. The good news is that most providers will contribute to emergency dental care in one way or another. For example, some plans include one emergency exam a year and cover between 50% and 80% of the cost of your treatment.
3 Important Insurance-Related Factors to Keep in Mind
When familiarizing yourself with your dental plan, it’s important to keep the following in mind:
- In-Network vs. Out-of-Network – Unlike medical insurance, you might still have coverage when visiting an out-of-network dentist. However, your dollars do go a bit further when you visit an in-network provider, so keep that in mind.
- Waiting Periods – Some dental plans have waiting periods that restrict when you can get a certain treatment. For example, you might have a waiting period for root canals, meaning you won’t have coverage until a certain amount of time has passed.
- Annual Maximums – An annual maximum is the highest amount your dental insurance provider will contribute to your care within a certain timeframe. If you’ve exceeded that amount, you’ll likely be responsible for paying for your treatment out-of-pocket.
Still Having Trouble Understanding Your Benefits? Ask Your Dentist!
Since dental plans don’t look the same from one patient to the next, you might still be a little confused. Fortunately, there are several places you can turn to for help. The first is your dental insurance provider. They typically have a helpline that can put you in touch with someone that can help you better understand your benefits. However, it might be quicker to simply reach out to your dental team! They have years of experience working with insurance companies, so they can effectively maximize your coverage. Plus, they can help answer any questions you have along the way.
About the Practice
With early morning and late afternoon hours throughout the week, Dr. Baioni and our team do our best to be here for you when you need it most. Plus, we are in-network with several popular insurance providers, including Delta Dental, BlueCross BlueShield, and MetLife. We’d be more than happy to help you better understand your benefits and will go the extra mile to make using them as seamless as possible. If you want to schedule an appointment with our team, don’t hesitate to visit our website or call (479) 488-6288.