We accept dental insurance plans
in Commack

Do you have dental insurance? If so, do you know what benefits are and are not covered and for how much? How can you be sure you’re on the right plan for you? Are you able to find a dentist near me who accepts my insurance for the services and procedures you need? Without answering yes to all of these questions, you could risk paying much more for the dental care you receive than you needed to.

What Is Dental Insurance?

A kind of insurance that pays for portions of essential dental services you receive throughout the year, dental insurance covers treatments and procedures aimed at maintaining and improving your oral health.

Similar to medical insurance, dental insurance:

• Charges you a monthly premium for coverage
• Typically charges you a deductible for services received
• May have preferred dental care providers

Types of Dental Plans

Dental plans and health insurance plans may be similar in certain ways, but they're also different in several others. Here’s a brief rundown of the most common dental plan options.

Preferred Provider Organization (PPO)

Like a health insurance PPO, a dental PPO comes with a list of every in-network dentist that accepts PPO insurance under that plan. You can go to a dentist not on that list, ie. an out-of-network dentist, but you will pay much more out of pocket for those services.

Discount Dental Plan or Referral Dental Plan

This type of dental plan provides you with a discount on services from a particular group of dentists. In contrast to regular health insurance, which pays for part or all of your care, it is the dentists in the referral or discount plan group who provide you with the discount for their services.

Coverage Dental Plans Provide

Dental plans generally cover some part of the cost of fillings, root canals, crowns, tooth extractions, some oral surgery, and preventive care. They may also provide coverage for certain periodontal treatments (involving the gums and other structures that surround and support the teeth,) orthodontic treatments (braces, aligners, and other structures to straighten the teeth) and prosthodontic treatments (appliances replacing missing teeth like bridges, dentures, or dental implants.)

Keep in mind that, even when you find out which dentist takes your insurance, some dental plans may exclude certain procedures or services from coverage altogether in order to keep costs down. This makes it all the more important that you know what specific services and treatments your dental plan covers and which ones it excludes.

Under most dental policies, you receive coverage for two preventive dental care appointments each year. You should take advantage of this coverage, as routine dental visits twice annually are an integral part of maintaining good oral health.

You may have a waiting period for certain treatments in your policy, such as prosthodontics or periodontics. This is a period starting from the time you initiate coverage that you must wait before starting those particular services in order for the policy to cover them. Contact your dental insurer to find out what is and isn’t covered, then contact us to find out how to use your dental insurance with our dental office in the Commack and Dix Hills area.

Dental Insurance Caps

Be aware that your dental plan very likely has a cap on how much it will pay for certain services or all services during any given plan year or an annual maximum. With many dental insurance plans, that cap can be very low. Make sure you know what the cap is for services covered under your dental plan, so you don’t have any surprises when your dental bill arrives for the uncovered portion you must pay out of pocket.

How to Prepare for a Dental Procedure

After closely reviewing your dental policy to determine if it covers your procedure and calling the insurance company with any questions, please reach out to our team at Helfner Dental Associates to schedule your procedure.

If you live in the Commack and Dix Hills area and you need dental treatment, we can provide an estimate of costs that will determine any out-of-pocket costs after deductibles, coinsurance, and any plan maximums to be accounted for.

Finding a Dentist Near Me Who Accepts My Insurance

At Helfner Dental Associates, we accept several dental insurance plans. Call us to find out which dental insurances we accept. We will always try to make your dental care as affordable as possible.