Insurance

Our Take On Dental Insurance

When you are evaluating the dental professional who will help you and your family maintain the highest level of health, please consider a few factors beyond whether or not the dentist is on your insurance list and if the dental office is on the next block.

What are your dental needs?  Are you sure that you are even aware of the condition of your mouth?  Has anyone sat down with you and explained what a healthy mouth looks like?  Have you been offered a chance to see how your mouth measures up to “great health”?  This process takes time.  It does not happen in a five-minute exam and a five-minute consultation.

Who selected the Dentists on “your list”?  Did you know that almost any dentist can be on any list of “preferred providers”?  The requirement is that he or she will sign the contract to work for a fee set by the insurance company following the treatment “guidelines of the insurance company”. That’s about it!
There are few (if any) extraordinary requirements for education, experience, excellence, or patient satisfaction–few (if any) requirements beyond those of state licensure for participation in most dental insurance preferred provider plans.  It’s about “the buck”–accepting a reduced fee so the insurance company (middle man) can make a profit while corralling as many participants from as many employers and agents as possible.  And usually the less treatment you receive, the more the insurance company makes.  If that is all you are looking for in a health care provider, just about any dentist should keep you happy.
If you have high expectations for you and your family, you might want to evaluate your choice a little closer.

Your needs determine the right dentist for you.  If your mouth is truly healthy, if you are blessed with healthy gums and strong, straight, perfect teeth and a relentless daily drive to personally maintain them by flossing and brushing, there is a good chance that almost any dentist can help you monitor your dental health. Congratulations!
Unfortunately, most of us have somewhat greater needs.  Consider that many of us have lost a tooth or teeth, or have had a number of restorative dental procedures by the time we reach adulthood.  Also consider that the old restorative techniques–silver fillings and “porcelain-fused-to-whatever metal” crowns–deteriorate and discolor our teeth and gums over time. Teeth shift and wear. Bone levels change. Gums recede. Is the dentist who spends his/her day seeing 30 or 40 patients, two or three or even four patients at a time, going to spend the time educating you and finally helping you clinically to your highest potential?  Is this dentist going to personally have the time to treat you and your family, or will the details of your treatment be left to his/her “helper” (whose last name you don’t even know) as he/she sprints on to the next person on “the list”.  If you feel like a number in the dental office…that’s exactly what you are!
Verify your dentist’s expertise and credentials with the State Board.  Have there been disciplinary actions taken against the dentist’s licenses to practice? Is that OK with you?

Think about the concept of dental insurance and how it applies to finding the right dentist for you. If you have further questions, please feel free to get in touch with our office.