What are the differences between a traditional dental plan and a discount dental plan?

As a rule, traditional dental plans are utilized by large groups and businesses to cover their employee's dental care costs. Traditional dental insurance coverage is considered to be true insurance where monthly premiums are paid for defined coverages. Dental insurance is not readily accessible to a individual a family or a self employed individual, unless provided by their employer. A few drawbacks to traditional dental insurance plans are annual maximums, deductibles, waiting periods for certain coverages, and limitations and exclusions of certain items. There are also claims forms to fill out and submit. Traditional dental insurance usually covers the cost of preventive services (such as cleanings and checkups) at 100% after the deductible is met. Annual deductible is usually $50 per covered individual. While you can use any dentist, the monthly costs reflect this and are expensive.

A discount dental plan, on the other hand, is available for the millions of Americans that do not receive dental insurance benefits through a employer. A discount dental plan is designed to provide consumers access to dental networks at reduced or discounted rates. These plans, are commonly known as referral or reduced fee plans, and are not considered an insured dental plan. A Discount dental plan is affordable and is the most widely available dental plan program for an individual or family. The discount dental plan works differently than dental insurance plan, yet both provide consumers with real and substantial savings on most dental procedures. A discount dental plan is a membership-based program that usually provides dental coverage on an annual basis. Consumers pay a membership fee in exchange for a secured discount on most dental services, such as dental exams, routine cleanings, fillings, extractions, root canals, dentures, crowns, and braces etc. This discount dental plan typically saves the consumer ten to sixty percent off the standard out-of-pocket fees when visiting a participating network dental provider. A discount dental plan provides a fee schedule with the discounted fees listed in the membership plan to ensure consumers will receive their promised savings. While there are several differences between a traditional and discount dental plan, they can be used together effectively in certain cases, such as with braces which are seldom covered by a traditional dental plan.

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