Dental Discount Plans are kind of like a wholesale warehouse for your mouth…In the sense that you pay either a monthly or annual fee and get access to deep discounts on dental services. (No, you don’t have to buy a box of 100 tubes of toothpaste to save money.)

A lot of people get confused between dental discount plans (aka dental savings plans) and dental insurance plans.

The goal of both a savings plan and dental insurance is you don’t have to pay as much for dental treatment. But there are some big differences between the two.

With insurance, it’s often difficult and/or expensive to get a policy as an individual. You generally need to be a part of a group plan.

That’s not the case with dental savings plans. They’re easy for individuals and families to sign up for.

What Do Dental Discount Plans Cost?

Rates vary but you can find plans for $100 a year or less for individuals. And, in return for that fee, you can see savings of between 10% and 60%. Just depends on the plan and what treatments you get.

Some other benefits that dental discounts plans typically have that insurance plans don’t…

• There’s little to no paperwork to fill out. So unless you love filling out forms, that can be a big benefit.
• You don’t have to worry about any health restrictions or pre-existing conditions.
• There are no caps, limits or restrictions on your care. No matter how much you spend on dental care over the course of the year, you’ll be able to use your dental discount plan.
• If you need a lot of cosmetic dentistry treatments, dental insurance plans probably aren’t going to help you much. Cosmetic procedures generally aren’t covered by insurance.

However, with a dental discount plan, cosmetic procedures typically are covered which could lead to big savings for you.

Now, if you’re beginning to think that dental discount plans sound like the best thing since sliced bread, they ain’t all sunshine and roses.