It may sound like a statistic from the past but, today, right now, the most common chronic illness in school age children is untreated tooth decay. An even more shocking statistic might be that, yes, today, more than 100 million Americans cannot afford to receive dental care. The reality is that many Americans are without dental insurance and are unable to pay for dental care themselves so they elect to writhe in pain and go without treatment. According to Kaiser Family Foundation data released in 2012, twice as many kids are without dental insurance as there are children who are without health insurance. That translates to approximately 19 million children in the United States who cannot receive dental care.
Dental care insurance is designed to cover the costs of dental care, much like health care would for doctor visits. Finding affordable dental insurance can be tricky, however, because of the limitations insurance companies put on dental care visits. For example, some policies will only cover up to 2 cleanings a year where other companies will only allow you to see a doctor that they deem acceptable, which is typically known as a Preferred Provider Network or PPN. When looking for insurance for dental care, be sure to understand all the options and restrictions on your plan.
While conducting research on different providers and plans, be sure to compare and contrast different providers and companies. The last thing you want to happen is to be misled into believing you are not responsible to pay for a filling or crown, only to find out that you now owe hundreds, perhaps thousands, of your own dollars to cover the costs. Even though going to the dentist is not as common or thought to be as common as seeing a doctor, dentist care is an important area of personal health that deserves time, attention, and, yes, money.