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Dental Health Plans and The New Dentistry - A Partnership for Your Health

A world of opportunities for dental health awaits us in the new dentistry. Using the old dentistry, dentists did their best to provide a high quality of service given the state of knowledge, technology, and dental insurance and dental plan at that time.

Through advancements in treatment, research, and the desire of the dental plan to do more and do it better, the new dentistry has emerged. It is based on a foundation with specific characteristics that are of great benefit to us as consumers.

Efficiency

Your time and your resources are valuable to you, and your dentist recognizes this. New treatment techniques, methods and dental plan options have considerably reduced the amount of time that the dental care now takes. The return on your investment in dental health and your dental insurance is excellent.

Comfort

Not only are the dental chairs and the office environments more comfortable and pleasant, improvements in the use of local anesthetics and new equipment provide more comfort than ever before.

Collaboration

The dental relationship is now based on the value that you can derive from your dental team, what you want for your dental future and maximizing your dental insurance plan benefits rather than just on the techniques and procedures your dentist can do. Through dental continuing education, your dentist has the skills and knowledge to help you make decisions for your dental health in a positive and informed way.

Predictability

New materials and advances in treatment provide you with opportunities to maintain your dental health throughout your life. With the innovative cosmetic dentistry and specialized approaches to reclaiming teeth that formally would be lost, your dental insurance plan can help create and maintain teeth and gums.

Predictable treatment, effective prevention methods, and the longevity of treatment are now part of any treatment plan.

Thoroughness

Advances in assessment and diagnosis now enable dentists to make thorough evaluations of your overall dental and oral health. The outcome is a plan for your health that will give you peace of mind, knowing you can have a well-informed plan in place.

Prevention

This characteristic of the new dentistry has received much publicity in recent years. It has been proven over and over again that there are several measures that you can take as a consumer of dental insurance plans to create and maintain your dental health in collaboration with your dental team.

It bears repeating again - flossing and brushing combined with regular dental hygiene checks are your greatest allies in maintaining your teeth and a bright smile.

Precision

The new dentistry utilizes instruments and technologies that are far advanced from what was available even 15 years ago. Both general dentists and specialists have access to technologies that provide precision in diagnosis and treatment. The value for you is higher quality care.

The dental profession and dental insurance industry has established a strong foundation for a pleasant smile and a healthy dental future for all of us. Improvements are continuously being made to this foundation. You can choose to avail yourself of these improvements by asking your dentist, "What can help me to maintain my dental health?" They have the knowledge and the desire to help you.

By Brian DesRoches, PhD

+Jim Du Molin is a leading Internet search expert helping individuals and families connect with the right dentist in their area. Visit his author page.

What Type of Dental Plans Have the Best Benefits?

Dental PPO, POS, DHMO Or Fee For Service

Indemnity and managed care dental plans differ in their basic approach. Put broadly, the major differences concern choice of providers, affordable out-of-pocket costs for covered services, and how bills are paid.

Usually, an indemnity dental plan offers more choice of dentists than managed care plans. An indemnity dental plan pays their share of the costs of a service only after they receive a bill.

Managed care plans have agreements with certain dentists to give a range of services to plan members a family at an affordable cost.

In general, you will have less paperwork and lower out-of-pocket costs if you select a managed care-type plan and a broader choice of dentists if you select an indemnity-type plan.

Managed dental plans include Dental PPOs, POSs, and Dental HMOs (DHMOs).

What is a Dental PPO, POS, and DHMO?

A Dental PPO (Preferred Provider Organization) provides dental care to its members through a network of dentists who offer discounted fees to its affordable dental plan members. You can typically use dentists out of the PPO's network, but you will only be reimbursed the discounted fee for the services rendered - you will need to pay any additional amount yourself.

A DHMO (Dental Health Maintenance Organization) provides you dental services through a network of providers in exchange for some form of prepayment. If you use a dentist out of the established network of providers, you may be responsible for paying the entire bill.

A Dental POS (Point of Service) plan allows a member to use either a DHMO network dentist or to seek care from a dentist not in the HMO network. Members choose in-network care or out-of-network care at the time they make their dental appointment and usually incur higher out-of-pocket costs for out-of-network care.

What is an Indemnity Dental Plan?

An indemnity dental plan is commonly known as a fee for service or traditional plan. If you select an Indemnity plan you have the freedom to visit any dentist. You do not need referrals or authorizations; however, some plans may require you to pre-certify for certain procedures.

Most indemnity plans require you to pay a deductible. After you have paid your deductible, indemnity policies typically pay a percentage of "usual and customary" charges for covered services; often the insurance company pays 80% and you pay 20%. Most plans have an annual out of pocket maximum and once you've reached this they will pay 100% of all "usual and customary" charges for covered services.

Many dental indemnity plans also require a waiting period before covering certain services.

+Jim Du Molin is a leading Internet search expert helping individuals and families connect with the right dentist in their area. Visit his author page.