Paying for dental work can be just as painful as the dental work itself. Many people believe that the only effective way to pay for dental work is through dental insurance. However, there is another option that is often overlooked. A discount dental plan can be a very cost effective way to pay for dental work in many situations. The problem is that most people do not know the difference between dental insurance and a dental plan. Below is a short description and comparison of the two.

Dental Insurance

Most people are familiar with the concept of insurance. The insured will pay a monthly premium, and in return the insurance will pay for a certain percentage of the insured's dental work. Most people are not as familiar with the drawbacks of dental insurance. Drawbacks to dental insurance include annual deductibles, annual spending limits, non-coverage of pre-existing conditions or waiting periods of up to 12 months for pre-existing conditions to be covered, and no coverage on certain types of dental care.

Dental Plan

A dental plan is a discount plan that allows a person to go to a dentist and have work performed at a reduced rate. The participant joins the plan, which is usually quite inexpensive compared to insurance premiums, and then the participant may visit any dentist in the plan's network. At the time of the visit, the patient must pay for the dental work to receive the reduced rate under the plan.

A dental plan may offer savings of 50% or more. Some dental plans even include discounts on special procedures such as teeth whitening, cosmetic dentistry, and orthodontics (procedures that may not even be covered under some dental insurance policies). Other benefits of discount dental plans are that pre-existing conditions are covered, there are no deductibles, and there are no waiting periods to receive treatment.

Which to Choose

The decision of whether to choose dental insurance or a discount dental plan depends on the unique circumstances of the individual or family. However, because of the lower cost to join and the lack of restrictions, in many circumstances a discount dental plan may be much more cost effective than dental insurance.