Dental Insurance Articles

Things To Ask An Agent About Dental Insurance Quotes

2010-11-18

Getting dental insurance quotes from an insurance agent these days has become quite easy due to the accessibility of online insurance sites. Not only can you go to individual insurance company sites and request dental insurance quotes, but you can also go to one of the gateway sites whose business is taking your personal data and then returning to you multiple quotes from a list of numerous companies.

Unlike medical insurance or automobile insurance, dental insurance is something the company writing the policy is fairly sure you'll be using on a regular basis. This will affect both policy benefits and premium rates.

Here's an example. You may buy vehicle insurance from a company and pay your premium every month for ten years and never make a single claim against the policy. The same could be said about homeowner's insurance or even health insurance. You may go for years and never have to make a claim on either of these policies either. For the underwriter of your policies, you are a very good risk because you keep paying but never make claims and receive any of that money back.

But with dental insurance it's almost guaranteed you'll be making claims, even if it's just for periodic teeth cleaning services. During these cleanings, most dentists are also going to take X-rays and if they find any cavities they will need to repair the damage by putting in fillings. More serious problems may require root canals, crowns, bridges or extractions.

When obtaining dental insurance quotes from an insurance agent, the first questions to ask are what procedures are covered by the policy, what the deductibles are and what percentage of the cost will be coming out of your pocket. You'll also want to know what policy limitations are involved, some of which may be annual limits while others may be lifetime.

It's also important to know if the policy you're considering will allow you to go to any dentist of your choice or if you will be required to seek treatment from a list of dentists within their network. If you have children you may want to ask about whether braces are covered.

You should also find out who is responsible for actually paying the dentist for his or her services. Some plans require the policyholder pay the costs up front and then seek reimbursement from the insurer. Others will pay their portion directly to the dentist after submission of the proper claim form.

A husband and wife who have separate plans that can work together is usually the best-case scenario. Often these policies will pay in concert, leaving your costs at zero.