Dental Insurance Current Rates, News & Information

Free Dental Services Provided to Over 2,800 Uninsured

Posted in Dental Insurance , Health Insurance

October 13th, 2009
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One of the nation’s largest dental insurers has provided more than $400,000 in free dental services since the beginning of the year. In order to help those without health/dental insurance coverage, United Concordia Dental began giving out free dental care in January 2009 and has helped over 2,800 people to date.

A representative from Condordia Dental noted that they are committed to enhancing the communities they serve. The communities are able to take advantage of the free clinics include: Harrisburg and Gettysburg, PA; Phoenix, AR; Columbus, GA; Arlington, TX; and San Dimas, CA.

As a part of the free clinic, volunteer dentists and hygienists offer free cleanings and x-rays to patients. They also offer fillings and fluoride treatments free of charge. And patients are educated about good oral hygiene, as well as ways to properly brush and floss. If needed, some patients are also referred to follow-up care.

Since October is National Oral Hygiene Month, United Concordia will be partnering with Mission of Mercy and its parent company Highmark Inc., which are headquartered in Frederick, MD and Pittsburgh respectively to hold a number of clinics in Maryland and Pennsylvania.

During the clinics, more than 400 free fillings and extractions will be offered to the uninsured. United Concordia will fund the services through a gift of $7,500.

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Wisdom Teeth Series: Recovery Basics

Posted in Dental Insurance , Health Insurance

October 3rd, 2009
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There are many myths and misconceptions about wisdom teeth, how they’re extracted and how we recover from them. You hear all kinds of horror stories about them, and after awhile it’s hard to tell what’s true, what might be true, and what’s more likely to be an urban myth. The basics of wisdom tooth extraction and recovery, however, are fairly simple to grasp.

Extraction Basics

When a dentist determines that a wisdom tooth must be removed, he or she will anesthetize the patient so that they can’t feel anything. This is usually achieved with an injection of Novocaine. But even before the injection, a small amount of a topical anesthetic is rubbed onto the appropriate spot on the gum. Soon the area to be operated on is numb. The dentist will then go in and remove the wisdom tooth, usually with forceps or other dental tools with strong grips.

Planning for Recovery

Because wisdom teeth can be extremely troublesome to remove, people need to take the recovery process seriously. Gums need time to heal properly, and this usually means several hours with gauze placed over the hole where the wisdom tooth used to be, followed by light use of the mouth in general for at least a few days, if not a week. During this time the swelling that wisdom teeth extraction is famous for must take its course. If the swelling doesn’t go away, or goes away but then comes back, contact your dentist. In terms of costs, most dental insurance policies will cover all or some of the cost of removing wisdom teeth. This will vary between dental insurance providers, so be sure to check with your provider to verify what’s covered and what’s not.

Recovery Tips

Here are some extra things to consider while you recover:

• Be prepared to eat only soups and soft foods like mashed potatoes for a few days
• Cold treats like ice cream and pie and help with the pain
• Bleeding can be persistent for the first week
• Swelling can be persistent for the first week
• Avoid licking or touching the area where your wisdom teeth were removed
• Do not allow any excess sucking action to occur, as clots can be dislodged causing pain and dry socket
• Do not drink anything through a straw as dry socket can occur
• Take your medications on time – stay ahead of the pain
• Ask your dentist questions if anything seems out of the ordinary

Wisdom Teeth Series: Extractions vs Regular Tooth Extractions

Posted in Dental Insurance , Health Insurance

October 2nd, 2009
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If you haven’t had your wisdom teeth removed yet, you may be anxious about the whole thing. A lot of people who have extracted their wisdom teeth describe the experience as painful, and will recount their own personal stories with horror and alarm. It follows, then, that the procedure is more extensive and involved than other trips to the dentist, and that means that it’s going to be more expensive. The reasons for the high price of wisdom teeth extraction versus the removal of regular teeth are fairly obvious.

Difficult Location

One of the biggest reasons for the high cost of extracting wisdom teeth is due to their location: at the back of the mouth. This makes them more difficult to get at, and trickier for the dentist. Another big reason is their size. Wisdom teeth are extra molars, and molars are the biggest teeth in a person’s mouth. Separating them from your mouth is more difficult for the very simple reason that there is more to separate, and they can put up a fight when a dentist is struggling to get them out. Your dentist or oral surgeon may even have to cut the teeth in order to make its removal more easy. Compared to the other, smaller teeth in your mouth, they’re just harder to remove because of their size.

Impacted Teeth

Finally, the most important and common reason behind the higher costs of extracting wisdom teeth is due to the fact that many are impacted. Impacted wisdom teeth – meaning, the tooth is growing into your mouth at an angle that’s destructive to your other teeth, or is growing in an abnormal way – are extremely difficult to remove. Strange angles and proximity to vital nerves make them harder to remove, and that can be a real challenge for even the most skilled of dentists. Because they draw on a dentist’s expertise much more than a normal tooth and take more time, they’re going to cost more to remove.

Luckily, most dental insurance providers cover all or some of the cost of wisdom teeth extraction. To verify whether your provider covers the cost, or requires some sort of copay, be sure to consult with a representative from the insurance agency.

Wisdom Teeth Series: Dangers of Prevention and Non-Prevention

Posted in Dental Insurance , Health Insurance

October 2nd, 2009
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A person who has yet to have his or her wisdom teeth removed may be wondering whether they need to have them removed at all. They may not be causing any problems at the moment, or, when a cost-benefit analysis has been done, the dangers of wisdom teeth removal may be great enough that leaving them in makes more sense. Adding to the confusion is that some dentists will not advocate the removal of a wisdom tooth if it does not appear to be causing any problems. The decision is an important one, and needs to be taken very seriously, including the financial impact and how much dental health insurance coverage you have.

Impacted Wisdom Teeth

Wisdom teeth that are impacted should almost always come out. Some, known as mesioangular impactions, come in at an angle that’s going to be bad for nearby teeth. Others, known as partial eruptions, are semi-submerged below the gum line and can lead to gum infections. Still others, called horizontal impactions, are on a direct collision course with the next tooth over, and will continue to press ahead into the normal tooth’s roots. The bottom line is that wisdom teeth are rogue teeth, and as they grow in they will push other teeth forward, causing unsightliness as well as serious dental problems. Due to the common occurrences of the aforementioned circumstances, having wisdom teeth removed is not really a choice for some people.

Complications with Extractions

Some people worry about complications from wisdom tooth extraction, such as infection, or permanent nerve damage. Additionally, some dentists feel that if a wisdom tooth isn’t bothersome, and shows no signs of crowding out the other teeth, then it’s fine to leave them in. If you decide on leaving your wisdom teeth alone, it’s important to remember that wisdom teeth can change their “behavior,” and the tooth that’s not bothering its neighbors today can start pushing at them aggressively next year. All decisions regarding your wisdom teeth, whether it’s removing them at once or taking a wait-and-see attitude, should be made in close consultation with your dentist.

Wisdom Teeth Series: Impacted Tooth

Posted in Dental Insurance , Health Insurance

October 1st, 2009
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Impacted teeth are wisdom that into a person’s mouth in disorderly way, usually perpendicular to the adjoining tooth, causing many serious problems to their dental health. There are several different kinds of impacted wisdom teeth, but what they all have in common is the need to be extracted sooner rather than later. An impacted wisdom tooth, if allowed to grow unchecked, can cause damage to the other teeth in a person’s mouth.

Forms of Impacted Teeth

• The most common form of impacted wisdom tooth is the mesioangular impaction. This means that the wisdom tooth is growing into your mouth, at the back of the line of teeth, at an angle that’s essentially pressing up against the next tooth in line – meaning, the wisdom tooth is not growing straight as it should, but at an angle that will disrupt the tooth it’s pressing against, and the teeth after it.
• After the mesioangular impaction comes the vertical impaction. A vertically impacted wisdom tooth only partially emerges above the gum line. This causes the gum to grow over and around the tooth in an unnatural way, forming what’s called an operculum. Operculums are tough to clean, and food and other debris get caught under them, which can lead to a dangerous infection known as pericoronitis.
• The third most common form of impacted wisdom tooth is the distoangular impaction, and rather than heading towards the front of the mouth, as with a mesioangular impaction, this kind of impacted wisdom tooth is heading towards the back of the mouth.
• Finally, the least common form of impaction – but possibly the worst – is horizontal impaction. In this instance, the wisdom tooth is growing in at a completely perpendicular angle to the tooth next to it – meaning, the wisdom tooth is lying on its side, and heading straight towards the next tooth, not unlike a battering ram.

Impacted wisdom teeth need to come out, period. If you have questions about the procedure, be sure to consult with your dentist. Questions about your dental insurance coverage, and what it does and does not pay for, should be addressed to a representative of your dental insurance provider.

Wisdom Teeth Series: Why Remove Them?

Posted in Dental Insurance , Health Insurance

October 1st, 2009
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It’s a well known fact that most people hate going to the dentist. We’re afraid that it’s going to hurt no matter how reassuring our dentist may be, or how much anesthetic we’re given. People are especially afraid of having their wisdom teeth removed, seeing as there are so many horror stories surrounding it. The truth is, however, that for almost everyone, getting your wisdom teeth removed is the smart thing to do in the long run.

Wisdom Tooth Basics

Wisdom teeth start to grow in our early adolescence, and as they develop they can cause serious problems. If they become impacted – meaning, if they grow perpendicular to the tooth next to them, they will push against the “good” tooth and push the remaining teeth forward. This will lead to major problems with a person’s bite and overall dental health. Additionally, if the teeth crowded by the wisdom teeth have fillings in them, the fillings can fall out, which will lead to major tooth decay and infections and require root canals and crown work. Both of these procedures can be painful, and both cost a lot of money if you’re paying out-of-pocket. If you have dental insurance you still might have to make a high co-pay.

Tooth Disease Prevention

Another problem caused by wisdom teeth is pericoronitis. In this instance, the wisdom tooth only partially emerges over the gum line, and so a soft-tissue skin flap, called an operculum forms. Operculums are difficult to clean, and if debris and bacteria form there, it leads to pericoronitis. This infection can become quite severe if it gets far enough, or is left untreated.

If you’ve got questions about your wisdom teeth, be sure to consult with your dentist about how to proceed. It’s important to remember that wisdom teeth may seem innocuous at first, but even if they’re inactive for the first few years, they can start to move, and create big problems. These are also very expensive problems, especially for people without dental insurance.

Wisdom Teeth Series: Covered by Dental Insurance?

Posted in Dental Insurance , Health Insurance

September 29th, 2009
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If you or someone you know needs to have wisdom teeth removed, and you have good dental insurance, the odds are likely that your dental insurance provider will cover all or some of the procedure. Not all dental insurance providers will cover the extraction of wisdom teeth, however, and before you make any assumptions, be sure to check with a representative of your dental insurance provider and verify what’s covered and what’s not. While it may be a bit more time-consuming to consult with an actual person, it could be worth it in the long run given that you will get the information first-hand, as opposed to reading a brochure or pamphlet. Everyone knows dental insurance and health insurance coverage are complicated things, and you could easily misread crucial information.

Limited Coverage

Many dental insurance providers may try to limit what they’ll cover, and may not be there for you should you require anything beyond the simplest of extraction procedures. For example, some wisdom teeth may be impacted, which means that the tooth that needs to come out is completely encased in the jawbone and is growing into the neighboring tooth. When such a situation arises, a dentist needs to remove part of the surrounding bone in order to extract the tooth. In some cases, the tooth may be too impacted for a dentist, and the only person who can remove it is an oral surgeon. Under such a scenario, it’s possible that a dental insurance company would be unwilling to pay for such a procedure because they think oral surgery is more appropriately covered by health insurance.

There are many different kinds of wisdom teeth, and many different dental insurance providers. To determine whether your specific provider pays for wisdom teeth extraction, or only does partial reimbursements, be sure to check with a representative of your provider. In fact, it’s a smart question to ask before you sign on with a specific policy in the first place.

Dental Insurance for Children

Posted in Dental Insurance , Health Insurance

September 24th, 2009
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Did you know that tooth decay is the most common form of childhood disease? Parents that do not encourage their children to practice good oral hygiene are committing their child to a future filled with additional health problems, social awkwardness and even emotional disorders caused by feelings of inadequacy. That is why it is imperative for parents not only to teach their children basic oral care at an early age, but also ensure their well-being by purchasing dental insurance for their child.

Policies for Kids

Dental insurance for children is a great way to offset the costs of normal tooth care for kids, and it also gets children acclimated to the dentist office early on in life. Consider this, every adult terrified of going to the dentist was probably not conditioned to the experience at a very young age. Children who are introduced to the dentist at a very young age will more than likely have a decreased panic reaction to the experience.

Pediatric dental plans are specifically designed for the very young and are typically offered as part of a family’s standard dental plan. It is important to investigate the full assortment of available treatments included in the dental insurance plan for children in your family’s standard dental policy inclusions and exemptions sections.

Finding a Plan

If you do not have a family dental plan, you should immediately locate a dental insurance policy for your child. By paying very little in monthly dues, you can actually avoid paying thousands of dollars for your child’s dental care. During a child’s formative years, the cost to keep their mouth healthy can be astronomical. Dental insurance for children can offset the costs associated with filings, crowns, periodontics and orthodontics. And also keep in mind that some private plans may have a waiting period of several months before any major work can be done.

Sure, kids with missing teeth can be adorable. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for an adult who suffers from the same affliction. Why wait, investigate dental insurance for children now!

Why Do I Need Dental Insurance?

Posted in Dental Insurance , Health Insurance

September 17th, 2009
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Do you like to smile? Do you enjoy eating? Do you like to kiss? Do you like to talk effectively so that other people recognize you as an effective speaker? If you answered yes to any or all of these questions, then you need dental insurance. Dental insurance will go a long way in helping you keep your teeth in the best possible shape. You could let them all decay and do nothing about it, of course, and simply resort to removable dentures, but most people try to avoid that fate and instead keep their teeth clean, maintained and treated whenever anything major arises. You can take care of your teeth without dental insurance, of course, but many people without it end up avoiding the dentist for fear of the cost or problems that will be found.

Benefits of Dental Care Insurance

By having dental insurance, you’re paying more out of your pocket every month. There’s no way around it. But when you consider the alternative – no financial help if you’re confronted by a big bill, and you’ve got a tooth that’s in worse and worse shape – that’s a scenario that could lead to an even bigger bill and bigger problems. With dental insurance you can just go to the dentist when you need to and prevent problems before they get expensive.

There are many dental insurance plans out there, so pick and choose carefully. Before you begin your search for the best dental insurance plan, be sure to consult with an expert. He or she can help you get the dental insurance coverage you need.

Dental Health Insurance Basics

Posted in Dental Insurance , Health Insurance

July 31st, 2009
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People have a strange but very common habit of taking things for granted. By and large, if something – no matter how critical to our happiness – is functioning as it should, we tend to just assume that’s the way it’s always going to be and we don’t give it a second thought. When there’s a problem, however, we’re certainly shocked by it. That same attitude, which holds true for so many things, is certainly true of the way we treat our teeth. In order to not take our teeth for granted, a big step in the right direction is getting dental health insurance. You use your teeth several times a day without thinking about it, but when there’s a toothache or other problems, life can feel like it’s come to a grinding halt.If you don’t have dental health insurance and are thinking about getting it, here’s what you need to know about dental health insurance basics.

Most dental health insurance plans only pay a portion of your dental care fees. You could also very easily have a high deductible and high co-pays. There are also many dental health insurance plans which don’t so much as provide coverage as they offer subscribers big discounts on dental procedures and visits. Additionally, dental health insurance plans will also often have a yearly cap on expenses – meaning once your dental care bills pass that cap, you are on your own in terms of paying for your dental care. The costs for such things as x-rays, sealants, implants, root canals, preventive care and other dental procedures is also usually predetermined by the dental health insurance provider and the network of with which it contracts.

To learn more about dental health insurance basics, be sure to consult with a dental health insurance professional. He or she can help you evaluate your dental needs and then find the dental health insurance plan that best meets them.