Dental Insurance – Charleston, SC
Get the Most Out of Your Benefits
If you have dental insurance, you may still not be aware of the best way to maximize it to the fullest. Dr. Church’s team is happy to break down the ins and outs of your insurance plan, ensure you’re getting the best value possible, and perform treatments that work to protect your long-term oral health. Doing so can help you save big on oral healthcare costs moving forward and unnecessary time in the dental chair. With that said, there are a few key points to keep in mind when using your dental insurance.
Understanding How Dental Insurance Works
For starters, dental insurance does not function in the same was medical insurance. This is actually a very common misconception. For one, medical insurance is generally used to treat sudden health problems like a serious illness or injury. In contrast, we recommend you use dental insurance on a routine basis to prevent dental problems before they turn into serious restorative and/or emergency issues. Doing so can help you avoid dental discomfort and save on your oral healthcare costs.
What Your Dental Insurance Plan Covers
Dental insurance plans tend to provide more coverage for preventive treatments like exams and cleanings because they are generally less costly to cover compared to other services. While every plan is unique, you can generally expect the following coverage breakdown:
- Preventive Care – Close to or 100% (exams, cleanings, X-rays)
- Minor Restorative Care – between 70% and 80% (dental fillings and sometimes root canal therapy)
- Major Restorative Care – up to 50% (dental crowns, bridges, and dentures)
We Offer In-Network Savings & Welcome Out-of-Network Providers
Insurance can be a double edged sword for many patients. Many insurances dictate specific materials and limit reimbursements to not cover the standard of care that we strive for with every patient. Because of these reasons, our dental office is currently contracted with BCBS and Delta Dental Premier, which means using these plans typically provides a higher cost savings compared to being out-of-network in most cases. However, many out-of-network benefits are the same for our patients with different insurance carriers! We’re happy to welcome your dental plan even if you’re not in-network. Our prices may be slightly higher than those set by your insurer in certain cases (to properly use the highest materials and care), meaning you’d need to pay the difference. These differences in pricing are usually quite low, which should never be a compromise for your standards of what is being used in your mouth!
