Dental Insurance Plans
There two types of individual or family dental insurance: HMO dental plans and PPO dental plans. HMO dental plans require that you choose one dentist or dental group to handle all of your dental care needs. PPO dental plans allow you to use any dentist but offer savings if network dentists are used. HMO generally offer more comprehensive coverage for the premium dollar. PPO plans offer the ability to use your own dentist. Both plans require a waiting period of 6 months or more for major work. So if you need a crown or root canal right now, these plans won't help.
Discount Dental Plans
Discount dental plans feature instant savings on most dental procedures. Each participating dentist charges according to a discounted fee schedule. As a plan member, you are responsible for paying the discounted fee for each procedure performed according to your selected plan. Dental discount plans are not dental insurance, but they do provide an instant discount for a reasonable premium. We feature the Vital Savings by Aetna discount plan.
