Why Dental Insurance is Different from Health Insurance
We are often asked by our Warren area dental patients why their health insurance doesn’t cover their dental care. Many of our patients do not have dental insurance, so when it comes time for major dental repairs like crowns, root canals, and implants, many of our local dental patients have to pay for their care out of pocket. This can be a burden to their finances. So it’s no wonder that when it comes to expensive dental repairs and care, many of our patients wish that their health insurance would cover their teeth, too. Here’s what you need to know about dental insurance and why it’s different from your health insurance.
What is Insurance?
It’s important in this discussion to understand what insurance is. We have insurance for our houses, our cars, and our lives. What we have for our teeth is completely different from insurance. Insurance generally works in this way: You pay a small amount of money each month, and in return your insurance provider will cover a loss or a health concern with little to no additional money from your pocket. You may have to pay a deductible or a co-pay, but other than that, your insurance provider will cover repairs or health issues in full, after that.
How is Dental “Insurance” Different?
Most dental insurance works kind of like a discount program. Patients pay to participate in a dental “insurance” program. In return, they receive care at a reduced cost, until a certain dollar amount is reached. After that, you are responsible for the complete cost of care. This works well for patients with healthy teeth, but can be challenging for patients that have experienced numerous dental issues.
Why the Difference?
The difference between health insurance and dental insurance, and the obvious separation between the two, stems from the early days of dental care. Until the 1800s, barbers were responsible for dental care. If you had an abscess or other issue with your mouth, your barber would care for it while you were getting a haircut or a shave. It wasn’t until the 1840s when the first school of dentistry was opened, that people started taking the health of their mouth into consideration. However, there still is a discrepancy between medical care and dental care. Most insurance programs, even Medicaid, will not cover the care of your mouth, unless it is involved in some other traumatic injury. What makes this problematic is, that we are starting to be more and more aware of the significant impacts that the health of your mouth can have on your entire body. Systemic infections in the mouth can lead to damages to the heart, brain and other organ systems. While dental care at one time seemed to be unimportant, today having a healthy mouth can be the difference between a healthy body and serious health issues.
What Can You Do?
The reality is that there is not much you can do to change your dental insurance. Until there is a change in mindset within the health insurance and medical industry, your dental insurance won’t change much. The best thing that you can do, to make the most of your dental insurance, is to keep your mouth as healthy as possible. Good preventative care, a solid routine of home care and being mindful of your diet is the best thing that you can do, to make your dental insurance as useful as possible.
I Want More Information About Your Dental Office in Warren, MI!
Dr. Apsey and the team at Smile Brightly know that caring for your mouth can be a challenge. With the best dental care in Warren, and a caring team that is here to make each visit as pleasant as possible, we can help you have a healthy smile and help you make the most of your dental insurance. To schedule a dental appointment or to learn more about our Warren dental practice, call us today at (586) 573-7700.