Dental Insurance Articles
How Proper Dental Hygiene Can Lower Your Dental Insurance Plan Premiums
2011-04-23
Everyone knows that good dental hygiene is important to dental health and a vital part of maintaining a healthy and beautiful smile, but did you know that proper dental hygiene can also help save you money? Obviously, good dental hygiene will mean fewer trips to the dentist and fewer costly dental procedures, but good dental hygiene can also reduce dental premiums on your dental insurance plan. Good dental hygiene can reduce dental insurance costs in several ways.
First and foremost, as mentioned above, proper home dental care will normally mean fewer dental procedures. Typically, insurance companies will raise premiums after one or several major procedures. So, provided you do need any major dental procedures, your dental premiums will stay low. This is the most obvious way that good home dental hygiene can affect your dental insurance plan costs. If you never have any cavities, you will never need a cavity procedure, and your insurance premiums will stay low.
Many health insurance companies offer incentive packages to encourage good health practices by their subscribers. For example, health insurance plans will often include a clause that states that a consistent exercise regiment will lower premiums. Many dental insurance plans offer similar incentive packages. Essentially, your dental insurance plan may offer lower dental premiums for exceptional home care. Insurance companies establish home care reductions in several ways.
Some insurance companies rely on surveys to gain information about their customers. If a survey asks you how often you floss or brush, or how much soda or candy you consume, it is trying to figure out your dental hygiene standards. Answering these questions the right way may lower your dental insurance premiums. Of course, these surveys are on the honor system, and it may be possible to provide dishonest answers and lower your premiums. However, this type of behavior is not encouraged, especially since your insurance company will likely catch on if you claim excellent home care and yet still require numerous procedures.
A second way insurance companies keep track of their customers is through dental records and reports provided by your dentist. Your home care hygiene practices are often noted on your charts, and often times your insurance company will request these reports from dentists. Because of this, it is crucial to maintain a strict dental hygiene home care regiment if you want to lower insurance costs and preserve a healthy smile.
The best home dental hygiene methods are rather simple. Brush three times a day. Floss daily. Use an anti cavity mouthwash. Avoid eating too much candy or drinking too many soft drinks. Essentially everything your dentist told you. Good dental hygiene will help your teeth and your wallet.