Dental Insurance – Georgetown, TX

How Dental Insurance Works

Much like car insurance or medical insurance, dental insurance works by you, the policy holder agreeing to pay a monthly premium in exchange for benefits which can be used towards your dental treatment at 1460 Dental Studio. However, please be aware of the following:

• In most cases, dental insurance is based on the calendar year, meaning that your benefits will not roll over at the end of year. Instead, they should renew on January 1, resetting your deductible to $0.
• You must meet your annual deductible each year before your dental insurance provider will pay for any minor or major restorative treatments.
• Your annual maximum is a specified amount of money allocated to you by your dental insurance company. This amount is the most they will agree to pay for you and your family’s care in a single calendar year.

Furthermore, since most dental insurance companies agree to cover between 80 to 100% of preventive dental treatment, we strongly encourage you to attend your six-month dental exam and cleaning appointments, as they are typically of little to no cost to you. These check-ups will also help you reduce your risk of developing serious oral health problems that could increase in cost to treat as they get worse.

What is the Difference Between Dental & Medical Insurance?

Although they may seem similar, there is a very big difference between dental and medical insurance. Dental insurance focuses on preventive care such as exams and cleanings as a means to reduce costly problems later on. This is why it provides higher coverage for things like fluoride treatment and X-rays than it does for root canals and tooth extractions. Your dental insurance provider doesn’t want to pay for more expensive treatment, because if you have money left in your annual maximum at the end of the calendar year, they get to keep it.

Medical insurance, on the other hand, may provide some coverage for wellness check-ups, but they typically pay more money for surgery, emergency care, and hospitalizations after an event such as a broken bone or illness has occurred.

In-Network vs. Out-of-Network

The difference between being in-network with an insurance company versus out-of-network is that the fees may be slightly different. With in-network coverage, your dentist has agreed to a set of pre-specified fees and terms set by your dental insurance provider. Although this can sometimes reduce your costs, it can also limit which materials and labs your dentist can use, and how much time he can spend with you.

At 1460 Dental Studio, we pride ourselves on providing the best care for our patients, without having to compromise due to restrictive regulations by dental insurance companies. To that end, we are very selective about which providers we choose to be in-network with. Those selected still allow us to provide us with the ability to deliver the level of care our patients deserve without having to cut corners.

In-Network Coverage

At 1460 Dental Studio, we are proud to be in-network with the following dental insurance providers:

• MetLife
• Principal
• United Concordia
• Humana
• Cigna
• Ameritas
• AlwaysCare
• Guardian

Please note that if you don’t see your insurer here, we are still happy to work with your plan and treat you with the same high-quality care we provide every patient. However, by contracting with the above plans, we can guarantee that you’re paying the least amount of money for the treatment you receive.

Out-of-Network

If you decide to visit a dentist who is not in-network with your plan, it is possible that you will pay more for your treatment. Unfortunately, however, many in-network reimbursements will not support the level of care necessary to provide safe, effective treatment.

If you have a PPO dental insurance plan, you can use your benefits to see any dentist you’d like, whether they’re in-network or not. At 1460 Dental Studio, we are dental insurance friendly and are happy to work with you to file claims, manage paperwork, and help you understand your specific coverage at every step along the way.