Individual dental insurance is one type of insurance not covered by conventional health insurance policies. This is often the option for those who cannot afford complete health coverage or those who prefer dental insurance alone. This type of insurance offers a number of benefits and advantages compared to group insurance plans.
Advantages of Individual Dental Insurance
In most cases the coverage offered by this type of insurance exceeds the coverage offered by group policies at a lower cost. With most dental procedures costing up to several thousands of dollars at an average, most people will find that they can save more by purchasing an additional individual dental policy to supplement already existing policies. One drawback to this kind of plan is that the buyer must pay all the premiums himself, as opposed to a group plan, where the premiums, or a part of the premiums can be shouldered by the employer.
Types of Dental Insurance
There are various types of dental insurance such as HMO dental plans and PPO dental plans. In the former, one chooses one dentist or a group of dentists to handle all dental needs. In PPO dental plans one is given the choice to choose from a number of dentists in the area. Discount dental plans are not insurance policies but they do offer services from dentists in the area at lower costs. And finally there are individual dental plans, which can be purchased to serve either as standalone plans or as supplementary plans. Most providers offer individual plans in various packages. For example, some plans give the buyer an option between two plans, affordable annual premiums, and comprehensive coverage including orthodontics.
One has a lot of choices when looking for dental plans, which can either be group plans purchased with the help of one’s employer, or individual dental insurance. Stand alone plans offer an attractive alternative for those who cannot afford group plans. They also serve as good supplementary dental insurance to already existing dental plans.