Insurance World

In a recent survey of the most wanted work benefits and perks, health insurance was at the top of the list. That’s only to be expected. Everyone knows that you need health insurance. It might come as a surprise, though, that the second most desired work benefit is dental insurance. Why is dental insurance so important and necessary?

Anyone who has ever suffered a toothache can tell you that when your teeth hurt, your whole world seems to become one throbbing, aching tooth. There are few things that can disrupt your day more than a bad tooth. And yet, most people don’t consider dental insurance to be that important – and major employers are only just starting to realize what a potent piece of their employee benefit dental insurance is. Dental health is far more important than most people realize, and doctors are realizing that more and more each day.

Dental health is closely tied to overall physical health in ways that most people are only beginning to realize. Gingivitis – infection of the soft tissues of the mouth – can easily become systemic infection that requires hospitalization. Misaligned teeth can cause neck pain and headache, and broken teeth can open the way to opportunistic infections that can, in the worst-case scenario, be fatal. Neglecting your teeth is neglecting your health.

Without dental insurance, many adults neglect routine dental care because it’s simply too expensive. A simple filling averages $125-$200 depending where in the country you live. Routine examinations and cleanings – recommended at least once a year for adults – average $75 and up, and a full set of dental x-rays can easily cost over $200. The cost for emergency services is even higher. A root canal – one of the most common oral surgeries – can approach $1,000. And cosmetic dentistry – from whitening teeth to full replacement bridges – averages $1500 to $3000, depending on the procedure.

Good dental insurance reduces the cost of routine dental care, often paying in full for one set of x-rays and a cleaning each year. That routine care can prevent many of the more expensive emergencies. Even more important, routine dental examinations can often turn up the first signs of more serious health problems – the first signs of illnesses like diabetes are often found in your mouth. Comprehensive dental insurance is one of the key ingredients in good health care.

Is dental insurance really necessary? The answer is an unqualified yes.

Shaving nicks and toothaches hurt more than they should. While a nick will vanish in a couple of days, toothache will take your pocket for a spin before it goes away. Believe me, dental care is prohibitively expensive, but still a part of necessary health care and very important.

Here comes dental insurance. Not much in the past it was considered a big company perk, dental insurance has today established itself as a must-have benefit. Even most small companies offer dental insurance today to recruit and retain workers. Dental coverage costs less than 10% of total medical coverage so its affordable and preventive procedures, like cleanings, ensure the overall health of employees, which means a decrease in sick time and increase in productivity.

Various dental insurance plans with numerous variations are available today. You should take proper care and time to consider all options.

Most expensive plans:
Direct reimbursement plans

These plans are the most expensive of the lot. They operate by paying for employee dental coverage from a pool of money set aside by the company for this purpose.

The simplicity of this plan makes it the most effective, the reimbursement is made by a simple formula doing away with the complexity of co-payments, deductibles etc. Even though ADA strongly recommends this plan, this kind of direct dental care may not be affordable by smaller companies.

Least expensive plans:
Managed care plans

Similar to a medical HMO, managed care dental plans need to pay for the treatment through regular co-payments and choose forma pool of dentists to get treated. These plans do various cost-control measures and can more affordable for small businesses.

The co-payment amount varies according to procedure. Preventive procedures are usually performed without co-payment, however advanced procedures will bear higher co-payments.

The choice lies with the company and their financial managers, however great care is recommended in choosing the plan.