Karen’s Free Health and Fitness Tips

In case you’re wondering, yes, there is still such a thing as cheap dental care, if you know what you’re looking for and you’re willing to think “outside the box”. Everyone knows about dental insurance because insurance in general is what most people usually look for when they’re in need of some type of coverage. However, in this case, dental insurance is not necessarily the best cheap dental care option available to you. Let me explain why.

Dental insurance does not immediately cover pre-existing conditions. This means that if you are suffering from tooth pain or need to have an abscessed tooth pulled right away that you’ll have to pay for all of it yourself. Dental insurance plans require a waiting period of usually one year before they’ll begin providing coverage for any type of existing conditions. Even then they may not cover 100% of the cost.

If you think about it for a moment, this really makes complete sense. If you go and get a new insurance policy on your vehicle they’re going to do an inspection of it and take pictures of any damage that was already there. Well, dental insurance is the same way. The insurance company doesn’t want to pay for problems that you had before you came to see them.

Your second option is called a Dental Discount Plan. This is a plan that you can join as an individual or family and receive big discounts by visiting dentists that have agreed to accept these plan members. You can save as much as 60% on routine dental care and also on major dental, such as dentures, root canals, bridge work and more. The only requirements for joining is paying a small fee, as low as $80 per year for an individual or $150 for an entire family, which is super cheap. You also must pay for your dental work in full at the time of your appointment.

Look at this example real quick. You could go in for a routine check-up, cleaning, x-rays and fluoride tooth sealant That would normally cost you around $260 and you’ll get it with membership for just $139 with one plan that I just looked at in the Tempe, Arizona area. This savings alone for one visit more than paid for an individual plan for a year. Just imagine the savings for any major dental work or the savings in the example above multiplied by a family of four.

These are the two main things that you have to choose from if you’re trying to find cheap dental care. One makes complete sense to me, while the other one doesn’t, but the choice, of course, is up to you.

By: Joe Stewart

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