Can I Find an Affordable Individual Dental Plan in Today’s Economy? by Dr. Michael Grossman

Everyone needs dental care, but in today’s troubled economy, it can seem difficult to find an affordable individual dental plan to help cover the dental treatments you need. Sometimes it may seem as if hard choices must be made, to get the dental care you need or to pay other household bills. With an affordable dental plan, you no longer have to make those hard choices.

Affordable individual dental plans are not the same as dental insurance. Unlike dental insurance, discount dental insurance plans are available to everyone. Whether you are unemployed, retired, a student, a senior, or the owner of a small business, you can get the dental services you need with an affordable individual dental plan.

There are affordable options for individual dental plans, student dental plans, senior dental plans, and retiree dental plans. So now everyone can get discounts on quality dental care. Affordable dental plans will give you access to thousands of dentists, including many in your area.

Unlike dental insurance plans, discount dental plans save you money from the day you sign up for your membership. Take the card to the dentist and you will get a discount on any service you need. You simply pay the balance. That’s it.

Individual dental plans are easy to join. Often you can sign up online. There is no paperwork, no pre-approval, and no cap on benefits— and no exclusions. In addition to services like check-ups, fillings and root canals, you will get discounts on braces, and on cosmetic dentistry. For senior dental plans, discounts apply to dentures and any other services that are needed.

Best of all, individual dental plans are affordable. The cost of a discount dental plan generally ranges from $80 a year for an individual to about $130 for a family. The discounts you will receive range from 10% up to 60% on most dental services. For students on a budget, this means not having to put off necessary checkups.

So how do you find the right discount dental plan for you?

First and most important, look for an affordable dental plan that is licensed by your state. Licensing means that the plan must conform to state regulations.

Second, check to see if dentists in your area accept the plan you are considering.

Finally, check the provisions of the plan against your dental needs. Make sure that discounts are offered on the treatments and care that you believe you may need.

Once you have done all this, choose the affordable individual dental plan that is licensed and best meets all your needs. Then you will have peace of mind knowing that you have access to affordable dental care whenever you need it.