How Dental Insurance Can Help Improve Your Oral Health

Besides brushing and flossing regularly, professional dental care is essential for optimal oral and overall health. Professional oral care consists of various services and treatments to prevent oral diseases and disorders, treat existing conditions, or improve oral health.

It helps keep your mouth clean, healthy, and fully functional. Consequently, you can enjoy proper bite function and speech, a beautiful smile, high self-esteem, and good overall quality of life. Keep reading to learn how dental insurance can help your oral care needs.

Dental Insurance and Access to Care

Like other medical care, dental treatments and services can be expensive. Many often avoid or delay dental care when they can’t afford it. Unfortunately, this only leads to more future complications requiring more invasive and expensive treatments.

For instance, suppose you have a dental cavity and can’t afford a dental filling. The longer you wait, the more decay eats up the tooth, causing the need for more expensive treatments like dental crowns, root canals, and dental implants.

Thanks to dental insurance, the burden of oral care and treatments is significantly reduced. It means you can get on-time and reliable dental care whenever necessary without breaking the bank. A recent study shows that people with dental insurance are more likely to visit the dentist than those without insurance.

Getting prompt dental care with affordable dental insurance ensures a lifetime of healthy teeth, gums, and mouth, reducing your risk of oral diseases and disorders. When your mouth is healthy, your overall health will also benefit. For instance, good oral health reduces your risk of serious health complications like heart disease, heart attack, strokes, pneumonia, and brain infections. Contact our dentists in Dover, NH, for affordable oral care and treatments.

Dental Services Covered by Dental Insurance

Unlike your regular health care insurance plan, dental insurance focuses on preventive and restorative dentistry. Some treatments only cover preventive care and standard dental treatments like routine dental checkups and cleanings, dental bonding, and dental fillings. Still, some insurance plans also cover more advanced treatments like dental implants.

Typically, your coverage depends on your insurance plan. Higher insurance coverage often requires you to pay higher premiums than a plan with lesser coverage. It’s essential to consult with our dentist when getting oral health insurance to ensure that it can help you easily get the necessary oral care and treatments.

When it comes to cosmetic dentistry, most dental insurance won’t cover it, especially if they don’t provide medical benefits. However, there are instances where a cosmetic procedure can have restorative benefits. For example, getting a dental crown to improve your smile can improve your bite function and protect your tooth against further damage. In such a case, you can get dental coverage.

Standard dental procedures covered by dental insurance include:

• Dental exams and cleanings. Having at least two dental checkups and cleanings helps remove bacterial debris from your mouth, preventing oral infections. The exams also allow the dentist to check your mouth for potential problems and provide prompt treatments to avoid bigger issues in the future.
• Dental fillings. Do you have dental decay or cavities? Filling the tooth helps repair, strengthen, and protect your tooth against further damage.
• Dental crowns. A tooth crown is a dental cap that improves the tooth’s strength, size, shape, and color. It’s ideal if you have moderate to severe dental damage like decay and trauma.
• Dental bonding. Teeth bonding is a non-invasive procedure for repairing minor teeth damage like chips, cracks, gaps, and erosion. The dentist applies a tooth-colored composite material on the tooth and reshapes it to achieve the desired results.
• Root canal treatments. If you have a tooth pulp (which hosts blood vessels, nerves, and other connective tissues) infected with bacteria, a root canal may be necessary to remove the infection and save the tooth.
• Dental bridges. If you’ve lost a tooth or teeth, a dental bridge can help cover the gaps, improving your smile, speech, bite function, and oral health.
• Tooth extraction. You may need tooth extraction due to severe tooth decay, gum disease, trauma, or overcrowding.

Learn More about Dental Insurance and Oral Health.

Do you need affordable oral care or treatments? Contact Belknap Dental Associates or visit our dentist near you to learn how to enjoy dental insurance benefits.